Pierre Gasly sends strong message in 'very optimistic' Alpine update

Pierre Gasly has shared his optimism for the package Alpine is putting together for the 2026 F1 season, with Team Enstone taking on Mercedes power.

The Frenchman feels that "everything is looking good" after the drastic and unprecedented step of Alpine foregoing its works status to become a customer team.

Unsatisfied with the progress and cost of its Renault power units, the team owned by the French car giant decided to abandon the engine work conducted at its supplementary Viry-Chatillon base, focusing all its resources on the chassis side of the F1 regulations overhaul.

2026 sees the championship usher in a comprehensive rules reset, including the first power unit specifications rewrite since 2014.

And with Mercedes adopting Alpine into its supply, the team — which has won three constructors' championships under previous guises — stands to take a significant step back up the pecking order.

Having finished bottom of the standings in 2025, scoring 22 points, Alpine will be hoping to at least return to F1's midfield, where it solidly sat for most of the past decade.

"There'll be a lot of work to do over the winter...," Gasly, who scored all the team's points last season, told media, including RacingNews365.

"I must say, on my side, I'm very optimistic about the car we are putting together."

The one-time grand prix winner shared that all targets are being met, with Mercedes widely anticipated to be the leading power unit package when the season begins in anger at Melbourne's Albert Park.

However, it is important to point out that, at this stage, all targets and expectations are relative, as teams and power unit providers have no sight on what rivals deem to be the benchmark.

Nonetheless, Gasly likes what he sees coming from Enstone, where he will stay until at least the end of the 2028 campaign.

"Chassis side, engine-wise, I think everything is looking good. We're hitting all our targets," the 29-year-old explained.

He added: "So yeah, I'm very excited for '26."