The Alpine F1 Team now heads to the Netherlands as the F1 season resumes this weekend at Zandvoort for the 2026 Dutch GP. Refreshed after the summer break and ready for the Sprint weekend, the team aims to maintain its momentum in the Constructors’ Championship battle.
Gasly on returning to the 2026 F1 Dutch GP
Pierre Gasly, now in his fourth season for Alpine, looks forward to returning to the circuit where he secured his first podium with Alpine in 2023. He recalls that memorable race as a test of patience and quick decision-making during changing weather conditions.
The Frenchman said that the summer break provided a welcome opportunity to recharge. He spent time at home with family, enjoyed walks with his dog, gym sessions and beach runs.
His attention now turns to the second half of the season. Gasly acknowledges the tight battle in the standings and stresses the importance of delivering successful upgrades. The Alpine driver feels ready for the challenge of the weekend and the Sprint at the 2026 F1 Dutch GP.
“I have very nice memories of Zandvoort as it’s where I had my first podium with the team back in 2023. That was certainly a memorable day where we had to make the right decisions throughout the entire race and I just had to keep calm behind the wheel with such variety in the conditions. It is nice to be going back into race week after a few weeks off. It’s always a really good time of year where we can reflect and spend much needed time with family and friends. I spent a bit of time at home, a lot of doing nothing, some dog walks, beach runs, gym sessions and days by the pool! Now I am ready to go and begin this next phase of the season. We have a big task ahead of us as it’s very close in the Championship and we know if we can deliver upgrades we can really stay in the fight with our rivals. It will be a big challenge and I am ready for it beginning with the Sprint in Zandvoort.”
Colapinto is ready for the second half of the season
Franco Colapinto welcomes the return to racing after a busy summer. His break started slightly later and different than others due to Pirelli tyre testing in Hungary, but he still found enough time to properly relax and recover from the intense start to the season.
Reflecting on the races before the summer break, the Argentinian states that the team’s disappointment shows how much progress Alpine has made compared to last season. He emphasized that fighting for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship highlights this strong development.
Colapinto notes that Zandvoort is a circuit he genuinely enjoys from his junior single-seater days. He emphasizes the need for a strong start on Friday morning. Because this weekend features a Sprint, finding a rhythm early is essential to pushing the limits and targeting a return to the top ten.
“I’m really excited to get back racing after a well-needed summer break. I started my holidays a bit later than everyone else as I was finishing the Pirelli tyre test in Hungary but after that I was able to properly relax and recharge my batteries after the really intense first half of the season. We ended a bit disappointed which I was able to reflect on because it shows how far we have come as a team from this position last year. To now be fighting for fifth in the Constructors’ Championship is really impressive and we all really want to do a great job and secure the result for the team. There is a long way to go still so we need to start on the front foot in Zandvoort this weekend. The circuit is one I really enjoy and I remember it well from junior single-seaters. It will be interesting to see what it’s like as a Sprint weekend and we need to start well on Friday morning so we can find a rhythm and push to the limits early on as we aim for a return to the top-10.”
Steve Nielsen outlines factory work and upgrades
Steve Nielsen, Team Principal and Managing Director at Alpine, explains that the summer break offers a rare and mandatory break for everyone in Formula 1. The Enstone factory used this quiet period to complete general maintenance work while offices and car parks remained empty.
During the first week of the break, the team welcomed the Pramac MotoGP Team to Enstone. Nielsen emphasized that he enjoyed seeing the drivers visit.
With the summer break finished, the focus shifts to the 2026 F1 Dutch GP in Zandvoort. Nielsen repeats that performance upgrades remain key to achieving the team’s goals in the championship. He states that Alpine will bring new parts to the Netherlands this weekend, which the team will test during Friday’s practice ahead of the Sprint Qualifying.
He also expresses hope that these updates will give the drivers the pace they need to fight for strong points.
“It’s always a good time of year over the summer shutdown where pretty much everyone who works in Formula One is mandated to have a break from racing. We have worked on some general maintenance at the factory as it really is the only proper time to do it while the car park and offices are empty! We also had the pleasure of hosting the Pramac MotoGP Team at Enstone during the first week of the shutdown. As a fan of motorbikes I was very pleased to see some of the videos on social media and it looks like Jack, Toprak and the team had a great time here with Toprak leaving a few lines of rubber for us to clean up. Now our focus is fully on racing this weekend in Zandvoort as we resume the season. We have said many times that we are in a close championship fight and if we are able to bring performance to our car we can achieve our objective by the end of the season. We have a few upgrades available this weekend, which we will run on the car in Practice ahead of Sprint Qualifying. The plan is to bring more as and when we can and hopefully it will be enough to put us in the on-track fight to score as many points as possible.”
