{"id":472587,"date":"2026-02-13T15:11:39","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T15:11:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/472587\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T15:11:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T15:11:39","slug":"why-alpine-is-nervous-about-its-unique-2026-f1-rear-wing-set-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/472587\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Alpine is nervous about its unique 2026 F1 rear wing set-up"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Alpine<\/a>\u2019s A526 hit the track in Barcelona for \u2018shakedown week\u2019 at the end of January, it didn\u2019t take long for eagle-eyed viewers to observe an unusual characteristic of the front wing. Even though pretty much the only external media present were watching through binoculars from a succession of nearby hills, frequently moved on by pointlessly heavy-handed security.<\/p>\n

\u2018Team Enstone\u2019 has a rich history of following its own path, even though it has gone through several iterations of technical leadership since its glory days as Renault in the mid-2000s. It pioneered radically undercut sidepods, now a ubiquitous F1 car characteristic; and under other names it introduced eccentricities such as front-mounted exhausts (ultimately rather less successful).<\/p>\n

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Among the unusual features of the A526 is pull-rod front suspension, a set up from which several other teams have moved away, and a rear wing flap that\u00a0operates in the opposite direction from others<\/a>. When the active aerodynamics are deployed, the actuator pushes the rear of the flap downwards rather than lifting the front of the flap upwards.<\/p>\n

Pierre Gasly, Alpine\"Pierre<\/p>\n

Pierre Gasly, Alpine<\/p>\n

Though unlikely to be a game-changer, it naturally stands out as a point of difference, which may not necessarily offer any improvement.<\/p>\n

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Asked if the fact that nobody else had taken this approach made him nervous, Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen said: “Of course it does. I don’t know whether it’s the right one, or it would probably be a better question to answer later in the season.<\/p>\n

“But, when you’ve had the year we had last year, of course you take comfort from things that are with the many…<\/p>\n

“When something is unusual… It doesn’t mean it’s wrong and we did that for our own reasons. But, of course, you do think, \u2018wow, that’s not the same.\u2019<\/p>\n

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“It’s an obvious difference. But whether it’s the right direction or the wrong direction, who knows?”<\/p>\n

Lando Norris, McLaren, Pierre Gasly, Alpine\"Lando<\/p>\n

Lando Norris, McLaren, Pierre Gasly, Alpine<\/p>\n

Rear-wing actuation may seem like a needless piece of minutiae to exercise the mind, but actually the mechanics of the active aerodynamics could play into the wider picture of competitive difference. Several leading engineers across different teams have pointed out that simulating the effects of the active aero on performance factors such as tyre loadings and rear ride height has been very difficult, as has accurately modelling phenomena such as flow reattachment when the wings close.<\/p>\n

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All these factors affect car balance and tyre life, as well as having second-order effects on stability as the active aero transitions between modes. Hence a lot of the running during the shakedown and first test has focused on practical measurement with flow-viz paint and pitot arrays.<\/p>\n

This is the point of the season where teams are beginning to look at one another and identify what they might have missed. There will be a parallel process in which teams are trying to maximise their understanding of how their car works in real terms \u2013 while looking at how other teams have approached the same ruleset, and stealthily weighing up those solutions versus their own, plus whatever they have in the upgrade pipeline.<\/p>\n

“We’re evaluating everything now. Absolutely everything,” said Nielsen. “Together with what we see on other cars. We see something, we model it, we try and reproduce it.”<\/p>\n

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Photos from Bahrain Pre-Season Testing – Day 3Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari\"Lewis<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari<\/p>\n

Glenn Dunbar \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri, McLaren\"Oscar<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri, McLaren<\/p>\n

Glenn Dunbar \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari\"Lewis<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari<\/p>\n

Mario Renzi \/ Formula 1 via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team\"Gabriel<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team<\/p>\n

Guido De Bortoli \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing\"Max<\/p>\n

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing<\/p>\n

Mark Thompson \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls\"Liam<\/p>\n

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls<\/p>\n

Peter Fox \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari\"Lewis<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari<\/p>\n

Peter Fox \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

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George Russell, Mercedes\"George<\/p>\n

George Russell, Mercedes<\/p>\n

Peter Fox \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Carlos Sainz, Williams\"Carlos<\/p>\n

Carlos Sainz, Williams<\/p>\n

Sam Bloxham \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari\"Lewis<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari<\/p>\n

Mario Renzi \/ Formula 1 via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team\"Gabriel<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team<\/p>\n

Joe Portlock \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Flavio Briatore,Alpine\"Flavio<\/p>\n

Flavio Briatore,Alpine<\/p>\n

Andy Hone\/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes\"Andrea<\/p>\n

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes<\/p>\n

Sam Bagnall \/ Sutton Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Alexander Albon, Williams\"Alexander<\/p>\n

Alexander Albon, Williams<\/p>\n

Kym Illman \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Franco Colapinto, Alpine\"Franco<\/p>\n

Franco Colapinto, Alpine<\/p>\n

Mark Sutton \/ Formula 1 via Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing\"Max<\/p>\n

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing<\/p>\n

Mark Thompson \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri, McLaren\"Oscar<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri, McLaren<\/p>\n

Joe Portlock \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari\"Lewis<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari<\/p>\n

Glenn Dunbar \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

George Russell, Mercedes\"George<\/p>\n

George Russell, Mercedes<\/p>\n

Sam Bloxham \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari\"Lewis<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari<\/p>\n

Joe Portlock \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri, McLaren\"Oscar<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri, McLaren<\/p>\n

Steven Tee \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team\"Gabriel<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team<\/p>\n

Andy Hone\/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Carlos Sainz, Williams\"Carlos<\/p>\n

Carlos Sainz, Williams<\/p>\n

Mark Thompson \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing\"Valtteri<\/p>\n

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing<\/p>\n

Joe Portlock \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing\"Lance<\/p>\n

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing<\/p>\n

Sam Bloxham \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team\"Gabriel<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team<\/p>\n

Mark Sutton \/ Formula 1 via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing\"Lance<\/p>\n

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing<\/p>\n

Sam Bagnall \/ Sutton Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls\"Liam<\/p>\n

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls<\/p>\n

Glenn Dunbar \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team\"Oliver<\/p>\n

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team<\/p>\n

Sam Bloxham \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing\"Isack<\/p>\n

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing<\/p>\n

Sam Bloxham \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing\"Lance<\/p>\n

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing<\/p>\n

Peter Fox \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri, McLaren\"Oscar<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri, McLaren<\/p>\n

Guido De Bortoli \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team\"Gabriel<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team<\/p>\n

Mario Renzi \/ Formula 1 via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari\"Lewis<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari<\/p>\n

Joe Portlock \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team\"Gabriel<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team<\/p>\n

Sam Bloxham \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Franco Colapinto, Alpine\"Franco<\/p>\n

Franco Colapinto, Alpine<\/p>\n

Joe Portlock \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing\"Valtteri<\/p>\n

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing<\/p>\n

Glenn Dunbar \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Franco Colapinto, Alpine\"Franco<\/p>\n

Franco Colapinto, Alpine<\/p>\n

Zak Mauger \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Carlos Sainz, Williams\"Carlos<\/p>\n

Carlos Sainz, Williams<\/p>\n

Mark Sutton \/ Formula 1 via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Jonathan Wheatley, Audi F1 Team\"Jonathan<\/p>\n

Jonathan Wheatley, Audi F1 Team<\/p>\n

Andy Hone\/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team\"Gabriel<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team<\/p>\n

Mario Renzi \/ Formula 1 via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari\"Lewis<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari<\/p>\n

Mario Renzi \/ Formula 1 via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing\"Valtteri<\/p>\n

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing<\/p>\n

Mark Sutton \/ Formula 1 via Getty Images<\/p>\n

George Russell, Mercedes\"George<\/p>\n

George Russell, Mercedes<\/p>\n

Rudy Carezzevoli \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Carlos Sainz, Williams\"Carlos<\/p>\n

Carlos Sainz, Williams<\/p>\n

Glenn Dunbar \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Franco Colapinto, Alpine\"Franco<\/p>\n

Franco Colapinto, Alpine<\/p>\n

Glenn Dunbar \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing\"Max<\/p>\n

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing<\/p>\n

Mark Thompson \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri, McLaren\"Oscar<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri, McLaren<\/p>\n

Glenn Dunbar \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari\"Lewis<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari<\/p>\n

Mark Sutton \/ Formula 1 via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Franco Colapinto, Alpine\"Franco<\/p>\n

Franco Colapinto, Alpine<\/p>\n

Joe Portlock \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing\"Max<\/p>\n

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing<\/p>\n

Glenn Dunbar \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team\"Gabriel<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team<\/p>\n

Ahmad AlShehab \/ NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Read Also:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Explained: Audi’s unique approach to its movable F1 rear wing flaps <\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Aston Martin opens extra cooling vents on extreme AMR26 as Honda engine issues emerge <\/a><\/p>\n

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Alpine\u2019s A526 hit the track in Barcelona for \u2018shakedown week\u2019 at the end of January, it didn\u2019t…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":472588,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[441],"tags":[3016,72754,49,26292,48,578,576,577,3484,932,2190,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-472587","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-formula-1","8":"tag-aston-martin-racing","9":"tag-audi-f1-team","10":"tag-ca","11":"tag-cadillac-racing","12":"tag-canada","13":"tag-f1","14":"tag-formula-1","15":"tag-formula1","16":"tag-getty-images","17":"tag-lewis-hamilton","18":"tag-red-bull-racing","19":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=472587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472587\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/472588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=472587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=472587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=472587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}