Alpine's sporting director, Steve Nielsen, harshly criticized the team's car performance during the recent Formula 1 season, stating that "the drivers were better than the car." According to statements gathered by the Argentine News Agency, the head of the French team expressed dissatisfaction with the A525's performance but remained optimistic about the upcoming campaign. "The brutal reality is that our car was not fast enough to score points," he exclaimed. Later, he highlighted the performance of French driver Pierre Gasly: "He drove reasonably well in Brazil and Las Vegas, which were the few occasions where we were competitive," he admitted. Alpine is preparing a major car upgrade for 2026, and while Nielsen did not provide details on the modifications, the team principal confirmed that the current roster is suitable to compete at the highest level next year. "We need to build a much better car because the drivers are perfectly capable of keeping up with it," he concluded. Meanwhile, the next F1 season will bring several regulation changes. British director Nielsen also added: "I believe both of our current drivers are better than the car."
