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On Wednesday 28 January, BWT Alpine Formula One Team continued its private running of the new Alpine A526 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as part of the FIA-authorised pre-season shakedown.
Like several other teams, Alpine opted to spread its testing over three selected days out of the five available. After a first session on Monday and a rain-affected Tuesday skipped deliberately, the team returned to action in more representative conditions. Both race drivers, Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly, were in the car for a half-day each.
Franco Colapinto ran in the morning, with Pierre Gasly taking over in the afternoon. Between them, they completed a total of 121 laps — approximately 582 kilometres — without a single issue reported.
It was a smooth day for the team from Enstone, which continued its evaluation programme of the A526 — Alpine’s first F1 car powered by a Mercedes engine.
Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly log consistent mileage
Franco Colapinto was back in the car following a partially interrupted run on Monday. His morning programme focused on aerodynamic adjustments and high-fuel consistency runs. The Argentine driver set an unofficial benchmark time of 1:19.150, the fastest of the day for the team. He completed 56 laps without incident, in a session described as solid and uninterrupted.
Pierre Gasly took over in the afternoon for his first dry-weather laps in the A526, following a damp shakedown outing at Silverstone the previous week. The Frenchman used the opportunity to validate the integration of the Mercedes power unit, assess chassis balance, and work through consistent race-pace simulations. He completed 65 laps, clocking a best time of 1:19.297.
Both sessions ran without any technical issues or red flags caused by the team. While lap times remain unofficial and not the primary objective, Alpine focused on systems validation, long-run consistency, and initial setup exploration ahead of official pre-season testing.
They said
Pierre Gasly – 65 laps:
“It was nice to get back behind the wheel this afternoon and continue to get to grips with the new car. The team completed 125 laps today, which is a solid day of running to keep learning about our new package with Franco.
I did 67 laps in dry conditions — ideal for us and very different from what we had at Silverstone last week! We’ll all need time to adapt to this new generation of cars as they’re quite different. It’s a good challenge and I’m already looking forward to the next outings. Whether we run tomorrow or Friday will depend on the weather.
It’s important to keep clocking up mileage — every lap teaches us something new. So it’s key to maximise our track time. We’ll see how things develop, but I’m happy with the team’s work so far throughout this shakedown.”
David Sanchez – Executive Technical Director:
“One unique aspect of this shakedown is being able to choose three running days within a five-day window. That gives us flexibility depending on conditions, and today we stuck to our plan with a productive session.
Franco returned to the car this morning after his first taste of the A526 on Monday. The aim was to give him continuity after a shortened run earlier in the week. He was able to complete a solid morning with plenty of laps. Pierre then took over in the afternoon to continue his familiarisation with the car.
After last week’s wet running at Silverstone, it was important for Pierre to get dry mileage in proper conditions. He now has a much better feel for the new package, which will help ahead of his next full day in the car. We’ll keep a close eye on the forecast and decide in the morning when to return to the track. We’re looking forward to continuing development of this 2026 project.”
Alpine A526 : A steady second day of progress
Alpine is going about its business quietly but methodically. The A526’s trouble-free day is a positive sign after a difficult 2025 season marked by performance and reliability issues. The initial signs from the Mercedes engine integration are encouraging, with no reported complications so far.
With two running days now completed and a combined total of 181 laps across both, Alpine is preparing for its third and final day of shakedown at the Spanish circuit. The team is expected to confirm later whether it will run on Thursday or hold off until Friday, depending on evolving weather conditions.
Results – Barcelona Shakedown 2026 – Day 3
| Session | Driver | Laps | Distance | Unofficial Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Franco Colapinto | 58 | ~262 km | 1:19.150 |
| Afternoon | Pierre Gasly | 67 | ~320 km | 1:19.297 |
| Total | — | 125 | 582 km | — |
Source : BWT Alpine Formula One Team
