With the first half of the 2026 season now completed, Flavio Briatore made a review of the current state of Alpine and sent a message of optimism for what lies ahead. The executive advisor of the French team highlighted the growth of the team compared to last year, supported the work of Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly and anticipated that the upcoming updates to the car will be crucial for continuing to fight in the midfield of the Formula 1.
Through a post on his social media, the historic Italian leader valued the progress shown by the French team during the first eleven races of the championship. "The first half of the 2026 season is complete", he began writing.
Briatore emphasized that the team made a significant leap in quality compared to the previous season. "Everyone at Alpine has done well to be back fighting in the midfield, which represents a huge improvement compared to where we were at this same time last year". He also highlighted the consistency achieved so far: "We have scored points in nine of the eleven races and we are still in a strong battle for fifth place in the constructors' championship".
The Italian also expressed confidence that the performance of the A526 will improve after the summer break thanks to the evolutions the team is preparing. "We know that the new updates and improvements will come after the summer holidays, which hopefully will enhance our competitiveness and provide the drivers with the necessary tools to take the fight to the Racing Bulls".
In this context, Briatore also left a message that was interpreted as support for both Colapinto and Pierre Gasly, after some challenging races for the team. "The entire team, both drivers included, is focused on the battle that awaits us", he stated, dismissing any doubts about the internal unity of the project.
Finally, the Italian leader urged to remain calm despite recent results and reminded that the final assessment will only come at the end of the championship. "The past races have proven to be difficult, but we know that what matters is where we finish the last race of the season", he concluded.
While taking advantage of the traditional mandatory summer break for its members to rest before resuming activity, Alpine is confident that the planned improvements for the car will allow it to make a performance leap and return to being a contender in the midfield.
When does Colapinto race again
After the race on Hungarian soil, Formula 1 will take a break for the summer holidays. In this sense, the category will return in one month with the Dutch Grand Prix. Action at the Zandvoort circuit will kick off on Friday, August 21 with a single practice session and the Sprint qualifying, and will conclude on Sunday, August 23 with the main race.
In his only appearance on Dutch territory driving in the top category, Colapinto narrowly missed out on the points zone with an 11th place finish.
