Alpine boss: Colapinto and Gasly have outperformed their cars | OneFootball

After the 2025 Formula 1 season has come to an end and during the break, all eyes are turning to what 2026 will bring. However, conclusions are still being drawn from what happened this year, and that's the case with Alpine. In a lackluster performance by Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly, the team came out in defense of the drivers.

Steve Nielsen, head of the French team in the top category of motorsport, took it upon himself to analyze the performance of the drivers. Far from criticizing them, he took a moment to praise them and surprised everyone in the field. Thus, the Argentine and the Frenchman received some motivating words from the team leader while they are on vacation.

The truth is that Steve gave a brief exclusive interview with La Nación and referred to the performance of Franco and Pierre during the 2025 season. “I think the two drivers we have now have been better than their cars,” Nielsen initially stated. He then added: “The brutal reality is that our car was not fast enough.”

In a similar vein to what was mentioned earlier, but this time focused on 2026, the leader of Alpine expanded his discourse on the matter. “We need to make a much better car,” he expressed with a sharp tone, highlighting the importance of the vehicle that will now have a Mercedes engine. “We’ll see if our drivers are capable of living up to it,” he emphasized a few seconds later.

Again on the A526 single-seater that will have significant modifications and many improvements, Nielsen stated: “We have done all the right things. The chassis has passed its crash test. It’s lighter, it’s stronger, and it looks good, but every team that builds a car will tell you it’s good. What really decides that is what happens on the track.”

Ultimately, the leader of the French team did not hesitate to highlight what Colapinto and Gasly did during the dismal 2025 season that Alpine experienced due to prioritizing the vehicle they will have available starting next year. Additionally, just as both drivers announced in recent days, Nielsen revealed that a much more positive 2026 is expected compared to this year.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.