24/06/2025 17:25
Pierre Gasly has challenged Alpine to ensure its 2026 chassis is
strong enough to match the expected boost it will receive from a
Mercedes engine. Alpine is reverting from a works Renault power
unit to a customer Mercedes supply in 2026, with rumours indicating
that the Brixworth engines will be the class-leading for F1's new
generation of rules. Renault has been unable to develop and fix
major weaknesses with its power unit after the 2022 development
freeze, with the decision being taken to close production at Viry
in 2024 at the end of the current cycle. As such, with the
expected class-leading engine in the back, Gasly has challenged
Alpine to ensure it upholds its part of the deal. "The [new]
regulations give a much bigger opportunity and have potentially
much bigger rewards, and the focus has got to be there," Gasly
explained to media, including RacingNews365. "The way the guys are
working at the factory, everybody is very full of confidence and
optimism to get the car in a great place, but at the same time, we
won't have the answer until we put the car down. "For sure, [having
a Mercedes engine] is giving confidence, but there is no guarantee
they'll have the best engine for next year, it is just going from
past years that they seem to be one of the best. "Then, in terms of
the chassis, we know we have got work to do, we have a chassis
which is pretty reasonable, but it does not mean we cannot do
better. We got ideas on how to improve, but we could not put them
all into this year's car. "I trust the process, I know we make
headlines and people might not see deeply inside the team what goes
on, and the more obvious changes are not always the ones bringing
the most impact, but make the most noise."
