Alpine is the next team to announce its launch date for 2026.

Alpine is the next team to announce its launch date for 2026.

      "We have been considering staff rotation for several months now."

      Alpine has officially announced that it will unveil its 2026 car on January 23 in Barcelona, making it the fourth team to confirm a launch date. This comes shortly after Red Bull and Racing Bulls unveil their liveries at Ford's event on January 15, and before Aston Martin’s reveal on February 9. The team also heads to Abu Dhabi for a significant weekend, marking the last race for a Renault-built Formula 1 power unit. Alpine shared images from their Viry facility showing staff signing the last produced V6 engine destined for the 2025 finale, with messages inscribed in white marker covering the engine.

      Sporting director Steve Nielsen stated that Enstone is already heavily involved in the production of the Mercedes-powered 2026 car, following the quickest winter turnaround he has ever experienced. "Someone mentioned to me yesterday that there are 36 days from the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi to the first time our car hits the track, and that includes the mandatory winter shutdown," he said. "Tasks that would typically take two or three months are being compressed into just four weeks. Enstone has been fully focused on 2026 for some time now."

      Franco Colapinto, who faced significant challenges in Qatar and has struggled to impress since taking over from Jack Doohan, is hopeful that a solid pre-season will enable him to reset for the upcoming year. However, Nielsen warned that the situation regarding 2026 testing remains uncertain. "Franco is still early in his career—it's all part of the learning process. But when it comes to pinpointing any potential issues we might face during the pre-season of 2026, I don’t have an answer yet. I’m not sure anyone does," he stated.

      With no dedicated test teams in contemporary Formula 1, the race crews will be responsible for the January sessions in Barcelona, even though the 24-race season concludes this weekend. "We've been planning staff rotations for several months," Nielsen remarked. "We are constructing next year's car in December. I've never experienced anything like that before. It's a completely new approach."

Alpine is the next team to announce its launch date for 2026.

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Alpine is the next team to announce its launch date for 2026.

Formula 1 | Alpine has announced that it will reveal its 2026 car on January 23 in Barcelona, making it the fourth team to set a launch date, following Red Bull's announcement just days earlier.