Colapinto’s new Alpine breaks down on track, alarm bells ring in Barcelona | OneFootball

The Argentine suffered a mechanical issue during the initial session with the A526, which caused a red flag, but the incident was not serious and he continued lapping on track.

Franco Colapinto experienced an unexpected moment during the private Formula 1 tests at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, when the new Alpine A526 stopped on track and forced the session to be neutralized with a red flag. Nevertheless, the issue did not escalate: the Argentine managed to return to the pits under his own power and continued with the testing program without major complications.

The episode took place during the first tests under the 2026 technical regulations and made the French team the first to cause an official interruption on track with the new rules. The team clarified that it was a minor issue, something common during these initial development days, and pointed out that similar situations affected other drivers during the same session.

Far from hindering his work, Colapinto was able to keep lapping and complete a progressive stint that left positive impressions. The Argentine driver consistently improved his lap times throughout the day, adapting to the new car and the unprecedented technical context of the category.

During the day, the Argentine showed clear progress in his fast laps. After completing 28 laps, his best time was 1:21.348, placing P3 among the 7 cars on track. The times reflect a gradual adaptation to the A526, in a test that is not about final lap times but rather about data collection, system validation, and the overall behavior of the single-seater. In that sense, the test was considered positive internally despite the initial setback, and in the afternoon Franco went back out on track.

The session in Barcelona is part of a series of closed tests, with no official broadcast or homologated times, serving as the first real contact with the cars designed under the major regulatory changes debuting in the 2026 season. At Alpine, they took the episode calmly and framed it as part of a logical development process.

For Colapinto, every kilometer counts, as the Argentine continues to gain experience, consolidating his role within the project and accumulating key information ahead of upcoming tests and the formal start of the calendar.

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