Alpine · 2026

Alpine A526

The Alpine A526 is Alpine’s car for the 2026 season, powered by a Mercedes-AMG F1 M17 E Performance (customer engine). Strong in: Top speed, Pace on worn tyres, Laps per set.

Updated 4 November 2026

Fact file

Car: Alpine A526
Team: Alpine
Engine: Mercedes-AMG F1 M17 E Performance (customer engine)
Launch: 23 January 2026 – livery revealed on a cruise ship off Barcelona

The car at a glance

The A526 is the first Alpine with a Mercedes engine. Parent company Renault ended its own Formula 1 engine project. Since then Alpine has bought its power unit from Mercedes as a customer team.

After 19 races the team is 6th in the constructors’ standings with 69 points. Its best race result so far is 6th. It also took 1 pole position (starting from 1st on the grid). Its speed stayed similar through the season: in qualifying the better of its two cars was 9.5 on average. In total the team declared 31 new parts for more speed to the FIA; the biggest package came at the Dutch Grand Prix (8 parts).

So the Enstone factory no longer fits its own Renault power unit, but another manufacturer's engine. Alpine now has the same engine as Mercedes, McLaren and Williams.

Description as of 4 November 2026. The paragraph on the season is updated from the results after every race.

Technical data

Values the rules set for all teams, and details of the Alpine A526. Anything not officially known is left out.

Specific to the Alpine A526
Component	Value
Engine	Mercedes-AMG F1 M17 E PerformanceThe engine comes from Mercedes; the team does not build it itself.
Gearbox	from Mercedes8 forward gears and 1 reverse; the driver shifts with paddles on the steering wheel.
Fuel partner	PetronasAll teams use sustainable fuel in 2026; the partner blends it to FIA specifications.

The same for all cars (rules)
Component	Value
Combustion engine	1.6-litre turbo V61600 cc displacement, 6 cylinders in a V (90 degrees), one turbocharger.
Maximum engine speed	15,000 rpmThe most revolutions per minute the engine’s crankshaft may turn.
Combustion engine power	around 400 kW (about 540 hp)Clearly less than up to 2025 – the electric motor delivers much more instead.
Electric motor (MGU-K)	up to 350 kW (about 470 hp)Recovers energy under braking and adds power when accelerating. Its power is reduced on very fast straights.
Total power	just over 1000 hpOnly as long as the battery supplies enough energy.
MGU-H	no longer usedThe second generator on the turbocharger was dropped for 2026.
Fuel	100% sustainableMade for example from captured CO₂, waste or non-food biomass.
Gearbox	8 forward gears, 1 reverseSequential and semi-automatic: the driver selects each gear, the shift itself is hydraulic.
Chassis	Carbon-fibre monocoqueThe rigid safety cell the driver sits in.
Minimum weight	724 kg plus tyres (768 kg)With driver, without fuel; 726 kg plus tyres in qualifying. Around 30 kg less than in 2025.
Width	at most 1900 mm10 cm narrower than up to 2025.
Wheelbase	at most 3400 mmDistance between the front and rear axles, 20 cm shorter than up to 2025.
Aerodynamics	active wings, no more DRSFront and rear wings go flat on straights (Straight Mode, less drag) and steep for corners (Corner Mode, more downforce); early announcements called this X- and Z-mode.
Tyres	Pirelli, 18 inchControl tyres: every team uses the same Pirelli tyres.

Technical data as of 4 November 2026.

More: how a Formula 1 car works

2026 team comparison

Calculated from official timing data, average over 19 race weekends (as of Mexico City Grand Prix 2026).

Strengths

Fastest car on the straights: 329.8 km/h at the speed trap on average.
Keeps its pace on a set of tyres best: the lap time gets 0.010 s faster per lap on a set of tyres on average.
Laps per set of tyres: 2nd of 11 – 22.0 laps on one set of tyres on average.

Comparatively weakest area

Speed over one lap (qualifying): 6th of 11 – on average 1.45 % (about 1.21 s) off the fastest lap.

1st = best value of the eleven teams. The explanation is shown below each name.

2026 team comparison: Alpine A526
Value	Alpine A526	Rank
Top speedHighest speed measured at the speed trap on the straight, averaged over all race weekends. Higher is better.	329.8 km/h	1 of 11
Speed over one lap (qualifying)Gap from the team’s best qualifying lap to the fastest lap of the day, on average. 0 means it set the fastest lap itself. Lower is better.	+1.45 % (approx. 1.21 s)	6 of 11
Sector 1 (qualifying)Every track is split into three sectors. Gap to the best time in the first sector. Lower is better.	+1.33 %	5 of 11
Sector 2 (qualifying)Gap to the best time in the middle sector. Lower is better.	+1.75 %	6 of 11
Sector 3 (qualifying)Gap to the best time in the final sector. Lower is better.	+1.58 %	7 of 11
Race paceTypical lap time in the race (without the start, pit stops and safety car periods), gap to the fastest team. Lower is better.	+1.89 % (approx. 1.68 s)	5 of 11
Laps per set of tyresHow many laps a car ran on one set of tyres in the race, on average. More usually means the tyres last longer.	22.0 laps	2 of 11
Pace loss on one set of tyresHow the lap time changes from lap to lap on the same set of tyres. Wearing tyres make the car slower, the emptying fuel tank makes it faster. Lower is better; a minus means the car even got faster over the run.	−0.010 s per lap	1 of 11
Pit stop timeHow much longer a car spent in the pit lane per stop than the fastest team (driving through plus the tyre change). Lower is better.	+1.06 s	4 of 11

Top speedHighest speed measured at the speed trap on the straight, averaged over all race weekends. Higher is better.

Race paceTypical lap time in the race (without the start, pit stops and safety car periods), gap to the fastest team. Lower is better.

Pace loss on one set of tyresHow the lap time changes from lap to lap on the same set of tyres. Wearing tyres make the car slower, the emptying fuel tank makes it faster. Lower is better; a minus means the car even got faster over the run.

Pit stop timeHow much longer a car spent in the pit lane per stop than the fastest team (driving through plus the tyre change). Lower is better.

Upgrades during the season

As declared by the teams to the FIA before each Grand Prix (32 new or changed parts).

Reason given by the team: “performance” means the part is meant to make the car faster. “Circuit-specific” means it is adapted to one particular track, for example more cooling in the heat or less drag for long straights. “Reliability” means it is meant to prevent failures.

Upgrades during the season: Alpine A526
Race	New or changed parts
Australian Grand PrixSeason start (changes since testing)	Front Wing, Coke/Engine Cover, Rear Wing (performance)
Japanese Grand Prix	Front Corner, Rear Wing, Rear Wing Endplate (performance)
Miami Grand Prix	Front Corner, Nose camera, Rear suspension, Rear impact structure, Rear wing, Rear Wing Endplate (performance)
Canadian Grand Prix	Floor body, Rear Wing (performance)
Monaco Grand Prix	Rear Wing (performance)
Austrian Grand Prix	Front Wing, Front Wing Endplate, Nose, Front Corner, Diffuser (performance)
Belgian Grand Prix	Halo (performance)
Dutch Grand Prix	Floor Body, Floor Board, Floor Edge, Diffuser, Sidepod/Coke, Rear Corner, Rear impact structure, Rear Wing (performance)
Italian Grand Prix	Front Wing Endplate, Rear wing (performance)
Spanish Grand Prix	Floor board (performance)
United States Grand Prix	Floor Corner, Rear Wing (performance)
Mexico City Grand Prix	Exhaust Tailpipe (reliability)

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