Alpine is going through a traumatic end to the year due to poor collective performance due to the few improvements in the cars of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto. On more than one occasion, the team excused itself by pointing all its chips at what will happen next year under a regulation with many modifications, but now it is in the news again for a violation of the security of its offices that puts the preservation of sensitive information in check.
The French newspaper Le Parisian alerted about the intrusion of two people into the team’s facilities in the French region of Viry-Châtillon at 10 p.m. last Monday, hours after Gasly scratch a spot on the Brazilian GP with his tenth place.
In a note signed by Candice Doussot, Flavien Gagnepain, Victor Cousin, Nolwenn Cosson and Pascale De Souza, it is stated that initial findings indicate that individuals nothing was stolen. This increases the doubts surrounding the illegality and all other hypotheses begin to be studied, that even reach the possibility of “industrial espionage”.
According to a police source, two people entered the place from one of the sides and broke a window at the entrance of the factory to enter the lobby of the building. Both left the ground floor and went up to the first floor, where the directors’ offices and management of the company are located. team. In fact, there are several doors that were forced: “It is evident that the intruders searched and searched the place”.
The Evry prosecutor’s office confirmed the beginning of an investigation, which has already been sent to the territorial crime division (DCT) and, for the moment, no arrests have been recorded. Everything indicates that the visit lasted only a few seconds. “Maybe five minutes.”they informed Le Parisian.
In this sense, a voice close to Alpine ruled out the absence of valuable objects: “Nothing has been stolen. Everything is fine. There were no employees at the time”. That version was accompanied by a source close to the case this Wednesday: “There has not been any theft”.
The police intervention was not able to verify any material damage and, despite the search of the place, they affirm that “no object, document or material was stolen.” The technical and scientific police are working at the scene with the goal of identifying the objective of the intruders. So far, Alpine has avoided making statements on its official networks..
Currently, the French team, whose main visible face from the management side is Flavio Briatoreoccupies the last place in the constructors’ championship in the Formula 1 with only 22 points, all achieved by Pierre Gasly. The companion of Franco Colapinto broke a streak of seven Grand Prix without adding units thanks to the two points accumulated for eighth place in the Sprint and 10th place in the Interlagos main race.
They will have three more opportunities to reduce the distance with Sauber (62), haas (70), and Aston Martin (72) in the list of constructors. Starting the second last weekend of November, there will be three events in a row with presentations in vegas (11/23), Qatar (Sprint – Saturday 29th and race – Sunday 30th) and the last of the course in Abu Dhabi (7/12).
In this way, 2026 takes on another relevance with the obligation to leave behind the irregular production of 2025. Colapinto He had been optimistic about the improvements to the car with a view to the change from Renault engines to those from Mercedes. “It’s going to be a much better year than 2025. The car is much more promising, it has things and solutions compared to the problems we are having this year, so I’m looking forward to getting started and I hope to have a great year“, he said after being ratified by the team for the next season.
Even speculation in the paddock indicates that the French team, which also had more time in the wind tunnel, would have a car capable of fighting in the lot above. Hence the suspicions that speak of espionage.
