Historic moment in Enstone: Alpine has started the Mercedes engine for 2026 – the video of the A526 is causing mixed feelings among Formula 1 fans
Alpine has stepped up its preparations for the 2026 Formula 1 season and started up the engine of its new partner Mercedes for the first time. For the French racing team, this marks the beginning of a new era, as the team will be competing as a customer team of the Brackley-based team from this year onwards.
The team released footage of the staff listening to the sound of the power unit. The clip was captioned: “A new era. The A526 lives.” The video, in which the sound of the 1.6-liter V6 turbo can be heard, quickly spread across social media, recording over 87,000 views on TikTok and 1.6 million views on Platform X (formerly Twitter).
Fan reactions were mixed. Many supporters were optimistic about the new partnership. “The vibe of the A526 is unmatched! I can’t wait to see what it will achieve,” commented one user on X. Another added: “Trust me when I say Alpine will make the biggest comeback in 2026.”
However, the anticipation was mixed with critical voices, who mainly regretted the end of the era as a Renault works team. One fan commented disappointedly: “You can’t continue to post in the name of Alpine. Alpine is part of Renault’s heritage, not Mercedes’. Even if you win, it won’t taste like victory to me. I’ve supported you since 2005 and even followed you when you were renamed Lotus (except in 2015), but now I’m done with it. Good luck.”
A new era. A526 is alive. pic.twitter.com/v3NADzd3VI
— BWT Alpine Formula One Team (@AlpineF1Team) January 5, 2026
Another user commented: “A Mercedes engine in an Alpine just doesn’t feel right…”
Alpine officially announced in November 2024 that it would be sourcing power units and gearboxes from Mercedes from the 2026 season onwards. The agreement runs until at least the end of 2030, with the Enstone-based team retaining the option to produce its own gearboxes again from 2027.
This puts Alpine alongside McLaren and Williams in the ranks of Mercedes customer teams. They are replacing Aston Martin. The Silverstone-based team has previously used engines from Brackley, but is switching to Honda this year.