BWT Alpine Formula One Team return to the legendary Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix, fresh off points finishes at the opening two races of the season for Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto.

The high-speed circuit has hosted races since the 1980s and been the scene of some of the most dramatic incidents in the history of the sport including the famous Prost-Senna championship battles. The track is unique as the only figure-of-eight circuit on the calendar and is a favourite among drivers with corners including 130R and the two Degners a particular challenge. For this season, the run down to 130R will feature a Straight Mode zone, as will the former DRS activation zone on the pit straight.

The reduced downforce for the 2026 cars will make attacking a circuit like Suzuka different to previous Formula One seasons. The opening sequence of corners – the Esses – and Spoon Curve will feature lower apex speeds but the second sector will likely see cars performing in a similar window to last year.

Pierre Gasly:

“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. 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 favourite places on the calendar. It is a special place for me having raced part of my career there back in 2017. I will be visiting Tokyo, as I always do when it's Grand Prix week, as it's one of my favourite cities in the world. I just love the whole culture there and of course the food is incredible. Suzuka will be an interesting challenge in this year's cars. I don't think we should be setting ourselves any expectations as Suzuka brings many unique challenges with its high-speed, flowing nature. I am ready for the challenge and I hope we can be on the pace straight away there to have another good weekend with more points added to our tally ahead of a mini-April break.”

Franco Colapinto:

“On reflection, I was pleased to leave Shanghai with my first point on the board for the team, especially after some very exciting on-track battles throughout the race. It was a pity, however, that we weren't able to achieve even more as the potential was there but various things in the race did not go our way. I'm really impressed with the improvements the team has made early in the season with the difference between Melbourne and Shanghai very clear to see. I was in Enstone last week and spent some time with the team and on the simulator. It was great to enjoy this result with them especially after so much hard work from everyone over these last few months. We have showed what we can do now and are aiming to build on this as we head to Suzuka this weekend, which will be another new challenge. I'm really excited to race in Japan for the first time in my career, it's such an amazing country and I can't wait to experience the weekend at this famous track. If the first races of the year are anything to go by, we will have to work very hard to fine tune the car but I'm looking forward to it and am ready to build on our good result last time out ahead of the short break coming up next month.”

Steve Nielsen:

“We left China with quite a unique, bittersweet feeling, something this team has probably not experienced in quite a long time. On paper, it was of course a very positive result with nine points scored across the weekend and both cars in the points for the first time since 2024. And, rightfully so, we should be pleased with that effort to be on the board across the first two events of the season. But there was a little bit of disappointment too as we did not fully maximise the weekend and we left Shanghai knowing more was possible, especially taking into consideration some of the misfortune other teams had in the race. That racing spirit is what makes and defines Enstone and I was glad to see some very happy faces at the factory last week but with a steely determination that we want to achieve even more and even better results. That is the challenge we now face as we know one good event will not define a season. The real challenge is to maintain our competitiveness by continuing to understand and maximise the entire package at the track and in our hard work and efforts behind the scenes at Enstone in bringing upgrades to the car. Our competitors are in the same position and will undoubtedly do a great job in bringing performance to their cars and we must do an even better job than them. Suzuka is a new challenge and one we look forward to taking on. Where we will fare, frankly, we do not know but I know the team is ready to continue on a positive run and go there ready to give it our best with the aim of coming away with more points.”