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BWT Alpine Formula One Team is turning a decisive page in its history, under the watchful eyes of Steve Nielsen—now firmly at the helm of the team—and Christian Horner, the long-time boss of a Red Bull Racing outfit that has become the benchmark for technical and political dominance in Formula 1.
While one is tasked with rebuilding a wounded organisation, the other continues to shape the very dynamics of the paddock. Two opposing trajectories, together symbolising the strategic shift now underway at Enstone.
Launched in 2021 by Laurent Rossi with the promise of a return to the front within four seasons, the much-vaunted “100-race plan” comes to an unceremonious end. The verdict is stark: just 22 points scored in 2025, tenth and last in the Constructors’ Championship, and not a single victory to show for it.
A bitter setback for a team with 44 years of Formula 1 heritage—once world champions under the Renault banner.
BWT Alpine Formula One Team: a deliberately sacrificed yet painfully endured 2025 season
From the opening races of the year, Alpine F1 Team committed to a fully acknowledged transition phase. Results on track never matched past ambitions, but the 2025 campaign was conceived as a bridge toward 2026.
As Steve Nielsen explains:
“Enstone is an incredibly busy place. If you walk through every department, all you’ll see are parts for next year’s car—chassis, gearboxes, all kinds of things.”
The Managing Director underlines the immense workload facing the teams:
“Someone told me yesterday that there are 36 days between the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi and the first time our car hits the track, and that includes the mandatory winter shutdown.
So the work that would normally take two or three months has been compressed into literally four weeks. The overlap between finishing the 2025 season and producing the 2026 car is enormous.
We’re racing this year, but Enstone is fully focused on 2026—and has been for quite some time.”
In that context, the 2025 season was effectively sacrificed very early on. As soon as January, development of the A525 was frozen in favour of the future A526. Technical Director David Sanchez has acknowledged that the A524—the basis for the 2025 car—suffered from fundamental limitations.
Insufficient traction, structural weaknesses in the suspension, and inefficient aerodynamics made any meaningful correction costly and largely unrewarding. Only the rear suspension was revised. A single aerodynamic package was designed and introduced in the spring. After that, development stopped entirely.
In parallel, the Renault power unit was unable to compensate for these shortcomings. Its lower energy efficiency—particularly on power-sensitive circuits—deprived Alpine of the leverage enjoyed by teams running more competitive engines.
Gradually, Alpine slipped away from the midfield, overtaken by rivals who were more technically aggressive. Thermal management issues on certain tracks, extreme sensitivity to track temperatures, and unpredictable tyre degradation undermined race weekends—especially on street circuits.
A changing dynamic behind the scenes at Enstone
Despite the bleak on-track picture, the atmosphere at Enstone has shifted behind the scenes. Since joining at the start of September, Steve Nielsen has highlighted a noticeable change in mindset:
“It’s full of people with a racing spirit. Results haven’t been great recently, but I think there’s real passion and a desire to take this to the next level. The commitment is huge, top to bottom across the company.”
The Briton’s approach is centred on restoring stability:
“My role is to coordinate all of that, to strengthen what we do well, fix what we don’t, and bring common sense and consistency to the leadership.
There’s been too much change at Enstone in recent years.”
And toward the end of the season, some modest progress finally appeared on track.
Pierre Gasly—the only driver to score points this year—provided a few brief highlights. As Nielsen puts it:
“I think it’s a combination of several things, honestly. There’s an improvement because the bar has been set pretty low for us recently, which isn’t great.
It’s not where we want to be. It’s true that over the last two races, we’ve made a bit of progress.”
That slight upturn was partly attributed to track conditions, and remains fragile. During the sprint race, Gasly and Franco Colapinto qualified on the back row and were never able to recover, finishing anonymously after an early tyre stop.
The shortcomings of the Alpine A525 are well known. The solutions are expected. And it is 2026 that must deliver the answers.
A major regulatory advantage for 2026
Finishing last in the Constructors’ Championship will not have been entirely futile for BWT Alpine Formula One Team. Under the sporting regulations governing wind-tunnel and CFD development balance, the Enstone-based squad will enjoy significantly greater theoretical development capacity in 2026 than its rivals.
With a maximum allowance set at 115% of the reference quotas, Alpine will benefit from far more freedom than 2025 champions McLaren, who are capped at 70%. The gap is substantial: several hundred additional wind-tunnel hours and nearly a thousand extra CFD simulations could be deployed internally, potentially accelerating the development of the A526.
In the context of a major technical reset—new aerodynamic rules, new chassis concepts, and a new power unit—this imbalance represents a genuine strategic opportunity. The question is whether Alpine will be able to exploit it fully.
Added to this is another innovation introduced by the FIA from 2026: the ADUO (Aerodynamic and Development Upside Opportunity) system. Designed to rebalance performance among engine manufacturers, it allocates additional resources to power units deemed to be underperforming, based on rolling average performance assessments every five to six Grands Prix.
Three levers are envisaged: targeted financial support, extended testing windows, and the possibility of mid-season technical re-certification of the engine.
Although Alpine is no longer an engine manufacturer following the shutdown of Viry-Châtillon, this mechanism could indirectly benefit its new partner Mercedes if a performance deficit were identified early in the season. For now, this remains hypothetical—but closely monitored.
Christian Horner: a return with Alpine on the horizon?
As BWT Alpine Formula One Team reshapes its future, off-season manoeuvres are taking shape behind the scenes. Former Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner is reportedly in advanced talks with the American consortium Otro Capital over a partial acquisition of the French team.
Removed from Red Bull in July 2025, Horner is said to be seeking a return to Formula 1—not as a team principal, but as an influential shareholder.
Negotiations are believed to involve the 24% stake held by Otro Capital, whose value has reportedly doubled over the past two years. Horner has not denied discussions are taking place, but for now refuses to comment further. His longstanding relationship with Flavio Briatore—now Executive Advisor at Alpine—adds a layer of credibility to the scenario.
While Steve Nielsen played down the rumours in October, he did not entirely dismiss them:
“Everything I see and everything I know tells me there’s no truth to Christian joining Alpine.
But that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. After all, this is Formula 1.”
They said
Steve Nielsen (Managing Director):
“I don’t believe in 100-race plans, or three-year plans, or five-year plans.
I believe in putting the best possible people in the right roles, defining a clear mission, aligning everyone in the same direction, and working relentlessly to achieve the best results.
That’s what we’re doing. It’s a slow process, and hopefully, in the end, we’ll do a better job than everyone else.”
Dave Greenwood (Sporting Director):
“Next year will feel a bit more complicated, but only at the start. After three races, it’ll feel like the new normal.”
Toward the 2026 season: a deliberate reset
The 2026 season is shaping up as a true turning point. The first shakedowns scheduled for January will offer an initial glimpse of the progress made with the Alpine A526.
The objective is clear: produce a car that is genuinely more competitive than its predecessor, without getting carried away by expectations in the competitive order.
The arrival of Mercedes power, combined with a radically different aerodynamic philosophy, will require a period of adaptation. The challenge is immense, as the entire internal architecture of the car must be rethought. At Enstone, ambition is cautious but real. The team hopes its early commitment to the 2026 regulations will pay off—but the paddock is waiting for proof.
Having failed to deliver on past promises, BWT Alpine Formula One Team now aims to build on more solid foundations. It is a risky bet. If it succeeds, it could mark a genuine turning point in the modern history of the team.
If not, the entire reconstruction strategy launched under Steve Nielsen’s leadership may be called into question.
Source: Autohebdo; Motorsport Next-Gen Auto
