Pierre Gasly urges Alpine to target Red Bull and McLaren after strong start

Pierre Gasly has issued a clear directive to Alpine: stop settling for midfield supremacy and start hunting the front-runners. Following a remarkable start to the 2026 season, the Frenchman believes the team must shift its focus from defending against the likes of Haas and Racing Bulls to actively closing the gap on Red Bull and McLaren.

A strategic shift in ambition

Speaking ahead of the Suzuka weekend, Gasly articulated the crossroads currently facing the Enstone-based outfit.

He pointed to recent race data as evidence that the gap is bridgeable. “Red Bull was definitely raceable in China. In Australia, there was a bit more of a gap. But then, even McLaren, on pure pacing in China, wasn't too far ahead,” he noted.

The Alpine turnaround

The team’s current trajectory marks a significant departure from their 2025 campaign, where they finished last in the constructors' championship with a meager 22 points. A strategic pivot to Mercedes power units and an early, aggressive focus on the new technical regulations have yielded immediate results. Alpine currently sits fifth in the standings with 16 points—level with Red Bull—after the opening three rounds.

Gasly has been the primary architect of this resurgence, contributing 15 of the team's 16 points, including a sixth-place finish in China. Despite this success, he remains hungry for more. “I can sense more potential,” he said. “I think what's difficult in Formula 1 is to be satisfied with being in the midfield or being on top of the midfield, because you always see someone is getting more, and you'd like to join the fight.”

Maximizing the A526 potential

While acknowledging that the inherent variability of different circuits makes consistency a challenge, Gasly expressed strong confidence in the underlying performance of the A526.

“I do have this confidence that there's still quite a lot of things to learn, but I'm confident that once we get on top of all of that, we've got a decent race car,” he stated.

For Gasly, this mindset is essential for long-term progress. “That's why, for me, as a team, I just want us to make sure we focus on the right target, which is to try to jump on the forward train and try to slowly close the gap to these guys, to be able to show our nose on some occasions this year,” he concluded.