Alpine have opted for a unique solution to one aspect of its new F1 car design.
Alpine boss Steve Nielsen expressed his nervousness regarding the team’s unique interpretation of F1’s new rear wing rules for 2026. While most teams chose a conventional DRS-style design, Alpine stood out with a rear wing that collapses during straight mode activation instead of opening up. The team ran this setup during testing, contrasting Ferrari’s short evaluation of an ‘upside-down’ rear wing before returning to the standard design. Despite voluntarily relinquishing their works Renault status to become a Mercedes customer team, Alpine showed promising performance in pre-season, with the A526 engine placing them in the upper midfield battle with Haas for fifth fastest. Nielsen acknowledged the unconventional rear wing choice, emphasizing the need for thorough evaluation and considering feedback from other team strategies before drawing conclusions on the effectiveness of their unique approach.
