As the F1 paddock heads to the iconic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the Alpine F1 Team expresses both their excitement and touching memories for the 2026 Belgian GP.
Arriving at the final double-header before the summer break, the Enstone squad faces a tight midfield battle in the Constructors’ Championship alongside adapting to the 2026 regulations and an emotionally intense return to the Ardennes forest.
Technical challenges at the 2026 F1 Belgian GP
Spa-Francorchamps is a track known for its famous mix of long straights and sweeping corners, which always provides a stern test for the F1 drivers. Although it is already one of the hardest – if not the most dangerous – tracks in Formula 1, the 2026 regulations will heavily center the strategies around powertrain rules and energy deployment.
Alpine’s Managing Director Steve Nielsen touched upon the fact that this year’s fight at Spa will be different from what we have witnessed before.
“Belgium will be an interesting test in the current generation of cars, and it might be a very different spectacle entirely to what we have seen at Spa before. It is a special track on the Formula One calendar, certainly one of the more iconic, and, as always, we go there with optimism and the aim of delivering the strongest possible result with both cars.”
Alpine’s experienced driver Pierre Gasly echoed Nielsen’s sentiment regarding the 2026 F1 cars’ need for adaptability at the Belgian GP.
“I am looking forward to Spa this weekend as it is one of the most special events on the calendar for many different reasons.
“As a track it has some of the best corners of the season and provides one of the best challenges we face at the wheel. This year might appear a little different with the current generation of cars and some of the energy management we will have to do on the lap, such is the nature of the circuit with long straights and fast, flowing corners.
“We will probably have to go there with a very open mind and try to arrive with a few ideas up our sleeve to maximise lap-time. I am sure we will see some variety up and down the grid in how to make the most of the package.”
Alpine’s Argentine driver Franco Colapinto stated that the new machinery of the 2026 F1 cars could directly enhance the on-track battles at the Belgian GP. He also pointed out that the energy deployment is a key indicator to win battles on Spa’s high-speed corners and straights.
“I’m very happy to be returning to Spa this week for one of my favourite races on the calendar. I am a huge fan of the circuit which is fast and exciting to drive in every category.
“The high-speed corners always require a lot of commitment and there are a lot of overtaking areas too and especially this year with cars that can follow much closer.
“The energy management, as well, will add an interesting element to the weekend and we will work very hard during Free Practice to fine tune our optimum strategy around the challenging track.”
An intense battle in the midfield of the 2026 F1 Constructors’ Championship
Alpine arrives at the 2026 F1 Belgian GP following a challenging British Grand Prix. Holding onto fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship—being the leader of the midfield with 60 points—Alpine has Racing Bulls placed right behind them with only a single-point gap between them after Silverstone.
Nielsen admitted that the team is currently struggling on the field against their rivals, who are closing the gap race by race. Acknowledging the drivers’ efforts at Silverstone, which resulted in Colapinto in P9 and Gasly in P10, Nielsen stressed the need for raw performance over relying on race attrition.
“We enter the final double header before the summer break with plenty to ponder after a hard-fought couple of weeks on and off track.
“Clearly, we are in a very close midfield fight in the battle for P5 in the Constructors’ Championship and it is evident that right now we are just that step behind some of our rivals, which we must quickly resolve.
“Silverstone was a tough event but both drivers did a good job to recover from difficult starting positions and finish inside the points, especially Franco to gain 10 places to go from P19 to P9. Many races so far this season have come down to attrition and it is important we are there to seize any opportunities.
“On this occasion, though, our rivals were in a much more competitive position to benefit even more from the circumstances, and we have to better our own performance in order to be in that situation in the future. And that is exactly where our fight is: to add more performance to the car.
“The team in Enstone is working hard on upgrades and it is important that, when we do introduce them to our package, they are effective and decisive.”
Colapinto expressed his eagerness to carry the momentum of the Silverstone weekend, in which he rose up 10 places from P19 to P9.
“Scoring points in Silverstone was positive, especially after making up 10 places to finish P9, however the fight with our rivals is incredibly tight in the Constructors’ so we are working hard to make sure we can race them in Belgium as we go into the final double-header before the summer break.”
Similarly, Gasly aims for a better performance, especially better than his rivals, due to a tight championship fight.
“I am determined for a better performance than some of the previous races and take the fight back to our rivals in the championship, which is now extremely close.”
Emotional tributes at Belgian GP
Beyond the racing, engineering, and competition, the Belgian Grand Prix holds significant personal weight for Pierre Gasly. Every year, Gasly remembers his close childhood friend and Renault Sport Academy driver, Anthoine Hubert, who lost his life in a tragic FIA Formula 2 crash in 2019. He honors his friend’s memory by organizing a dedicated track run at the circuit. Gasly also places a bouquet at the barrier near the crash site at the infamous Eau Rouge-Raidillon.
On the evening of Thursday, July 16th, the annual “Run for Anthoine” will commemorate Anthoine Hubert and Dilano van ‘t Hoff, who also tragically lost his life at Spa in 2023. All members of the F1, F2, and F3 paddocks are invited to run or walk the circuit in honor of Anthoine and Dilano. The run will begin at 18:00 on the Start-Finish straight, making a stop at Eau Rouge to remember Anthoine, and on the Kemmel Straight in honor of Dilano.
“There is also the more emotional side of returning to Spa year-on-year as I, amongst many others, remember Anthoine.
“I am organising the Run For Anthoine again on Thursday evening, the fourth time this special gathering has been held as we reflect fondly on all the memories with him.”
