Alpine's strength takes Red Bull's Marko by surprise.

      According to Dr. Helmut Marko, Alpine is making significant progress towards becoming one of the top four teams in Formula 1. After experiencing a serious crisis last year, the Renault-owned team saw a notable improvement with the arrival of 'fixer' and advisor Flavio Briatore, finishing the season on a stronger note. The latest season of F1's Drive to Survive on Netflix revealed how close Carlos Sainz came to joining the Enstone-based team for 2025. "Carlos thinks Alpine wasn't good enough for him, and that Williams was much better," said 74-year-old Briatore. "It's as straightforward as that. Everyone makes mistakes." While Sainz achieved the overall fastest time during the Bahrain pre-season test on a low-fuel run, Alpine's new car was catching attention as well. Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher acknowledged, "Alpine was quite impressive. This team could surprise with (Pierre) Gasly, even if not in every race. If the regulations stay stable for a while, everyone will eventually develop a competitive car." Marko, who is Briatore's counterpart at Red Bull Racing, also expressed his admiration for Alpine's pre-season performance. "The French team was definitely stronger than expected," he remarked to sport.de. "They capitalized on the momentum from last year. Now, I would place Alpine right behind the big four," he stated, referring to McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes.

      In addition, although Alpine has two reserve drivers for 2025, it has been confirmed that Franco Colapinto will participate in the first two grands prix in Australia and China. Loaned from Williams and supported by the well-known talent scout Briatore, Colapinto's involvement has increased the pressure on Gasly's rookie teammate, Jack Doohan. Some believe Doohan's time in F1 could be limited to just five races. "I was quite proud of him being assertive with all of you," Alpine team boss Oliver Oakes commented last week in Bahrain, after journalists inundated Doohan with questions about Colapinto. "I genuinely feel for him, as I understand everyone is looking for clickbait and a topic of discussion. But I think he should also be afforded some space to focus on his performance for a few rounds," Oakes added. "Flavio mentioned it, didn't he? We're starting the season with Jack and Pierre, and we’ll see how it unfolds. We aim for the best drivers and the best engine. I believe our team has been clear about our intentions. Our goal is to build on where we left off last year, lingering closely behind those top teams. Both drivers have been quite satisfied with the car," he concluded.