Alpine F1 hoping for another ‘good weekend’ at the Japanese Grand Prix

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MARCH 14: Pierre Gasly of France and Alpine F1 Team rides his scooter in Pit Lane during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on March 14, 2026 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Jayce Illman/Getty Images) | Getty Images A dramatic start to the 2026 Formula 1 season has seen Mercedes roar out of the gates, Aston Martin stumble from the same, and all 11 teams deal with technical issues as the sport ushers in a sweeping set of regulation changes. But Alpine might be the biggest surprise of all, and the team hopes to continue their strong start at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.

After punting on the 2025 season and quickly shifting their focus to developing their 2026 challenger, Alpine secured points at both the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and the Chinese Grand Prix, where they saw both Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto finish inside the top ten. For Gasly, it was his second consecutive finish in the points, while Colapinto returned to the points for the first time since the 2024 United States Grand Prix. And his first points for the team since joining Alpine ahead of the 2025 campaign.

Now the team is hoping for “another good weekend” in Japan. “It is a nice feeling to come away from a race with solid points in the bag. We were in the mix all weekend in China and, of course, I left there wanting even more as I felt we left a little bit on the table and it could have turned out even better had circumstances come our way,” said Gasly in the team’s media preview.

“That being said, we all learnt a lot which will help us for future races. It is probably a good sign that we leave a successful weekend with some disappointment and hopefully we can continue our form into Japan, one of my favorite places on the calendar. “It is a special place for me having raced part of my career there back in 2017.