Alpine hits 2026 weight limit as rivals struggle

Jan.28 (GMM) Alpine is understood to have reached Formula 1’s new 2026 minimum weight limit straight out of the box, marking an early technical success after a disastrous 2025 season.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, Alpine’s new A526 is already at the FIA-mandated minimum of 770 kilograms – a target many in the paddock privately believed would be out of reach for most teams in the first year of the new regulations.

The reduced limit, some 30kg lighter than last season, has been a big talking point of the 2026 reset. Several teams are thought to be significantly overweight, with Williams missing the entire Barcelona shakedown amid persistent rumours of failed FIA crash tests and a weight excess of up to 30kg.

Williams team principal James Vowles had already warned late last year that the challenge would be severe.

“It would be good to find out from others where they are, but I think most will be overweight,” Vowles said. “That’s the simple facts behind it. It’s a very aggressive target, but it’s manageable.”

Mercedes has echoed those concerns. Chief engineer Andrew Shovlin said weight remains one of the biggest development headaches.

“The limit wasn’t set by summing components, it was simply imposed,” Shovlin said. “Teams in previous regulations were 10 to 20kg overweight initially, which is costly and interferes with development. Our aim is to start as close to the limit as possible.”

At Alpine, the achievement reflects an early and aggressive shift of focus to the 2026 project as it headed for dead last in 2025. Development of the A526 began in the summer of 2024, alongside a major philosophical reset and the decision to abandon works Renault power in favour of customer Mercedes engines.

Advisor Flavio Briatore, now effectively in charge of the program, has made clear that patience has run out.

“We’re confident,” Briatore told La Gazzetta dello Sport this week. “Every department head was able to do what they wanted – no one told me they needed more time.

“So either we have a competitive car or we all have to go home.”

Technical director David Sanchez said the A526 was developed around balance rather than chasing peak downforce figures.

“We placed great emphasis on drivability during development,” Sanchez said at the launch in Barcelona. “We want to give the drivers a well-balanced car.”

“On paper, a high downforce value might promise a good laptime, but that doesn’t do you any good,” he added. “You might be able to use it for one lap in qualifying, but not over a race distance. You’ll also burn through your tyres and the driver will lose confidence.”

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