The 2026 Formula 1 season officially begins this coming weekend with the Australian GP in Melbourne. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, Alpine drivers, shared their expectations and preparations for the first race of the year, highlighting the challenges brought by the new regulations and the unpredictable nature of the Albert Park circuit.
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Gasly, who already has experience from several F1 seasons, was excited about the debut of the new cars and new technologies: “I am very excited to go to Melbourne and race with the new regulations for the first time. The cars are completely different from anything I have experienced during my career,” commented Gasly. The French driver emphasized the importance of the work done during pre-season testing in Barcelona and Bahrain, where the team worked to optimize the performance of the new Mercedes power units—since until last year the team used Renault engines—and the active aerodynamics features. Gasly also highlighted that the Albert Park circuit will be an interesting challenge for the team: “The tracks we have experienced so far have been very different, with medium-speed corners in Barcelona and heavy braking zones in Bahrain. Albert Park has a more fluid and unpredictable nature due to the Melbourne weather,” he stated.
Colapinto, who is starting his first full season in F1, was also optimistic about the start of the championship and highlighted the importance of pre-season testing: “I am looking forward to starting the new season and for the opportunity to compete in the first GP of the year. This was the first time I participated in pre-season testing and will race in the opening GP, which was very helpful for understanding the new cars,” explained Colapinto. The Argentine driver, who has already raced at the Melbourne circuit in junior categories, believes the high-speed track will be an interesting challenge for the new generation of cars: “I believe it will be a great challenge for the F1 cars of this generation, as the track is much faster than those we faced in testing,” he commented.
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Both drivers are fully aware that the weekend will be crucial for adjusting the setup and trying to achieve good positions in the qualifying session and the race. Gasly stated: “Friday will be important for getting the setup right. Then we will see where we are in the qualifying session, where I really hope to push the car and apply some of the new skills we have learned.” Colapinto also focused on hard work: “We are going to work hard on Friday to be in the best possible position for the qualifying session and the race. I am excited to really explore the car’s potential and see where we are,” he added.
The Australian GP promises to be an important milestone for Alpine and for all of Formula 1, with new challenges and the introduction of technologies that could transform the dynamics of the competition in 2026.
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