The final European race of the season proved to be an extremely busy and memorable weekend for BWT Alpine Formula One Team.

From VIP guests to major announcements, the Monza paddock was buzzing with activity. On track, Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix also set a new record as the fastest race in the 75-year history of the sport. But before the lights went out for the 53-lap contest, there was plenty of news to reflect on.

Driving forward together for another three years

The Temple of Speed has always been a place for special memories - five years ago it was the scene of Pierre’s maiden win - and this year was no exception. On Saturday morning, the team announced that Pierre has signed a contract extension, keeping him at Alpine through 2028 and into the new era of Formula One with next season’s major regulation changes,

Both Pierre and the team were delighted with the news and Flavio Briatore was full of praise for the Frenchman. “Pierre has been an immense asset for the team,” said Flavio. “I have been very impressed with his attitude, dedication and talent and we look forward to continuing this project together for a long time.”

Before arriving at the track, Pierre kicked off the weekend by joining friends and colleagues for a football match at AC Monza’s training ground. And in a surprise twist, the man of the match was rewarded with a special Hot Lap alongside Pierre in an Alpine A110 around the famous autodromo. Pierre also took former Enstone driver Jean Alesi for a Hot Lap with Franco and Paul also entertaining paddock guests on a fast lap of the 3.6-mile track.

Meanwhile, twelve months on from his F1 debut, Franco took part in the FIA Drivers’ Press Conference on Thursday, while Pierre also completed his media and marketing duties after arriving at track for the day in the new FROM FUTURE x BWT Alpine Formula One Team collection which is now available here. A busy Thursday ended with a trip to downtown Milan and the Alpine Atelier, where both drivers - along with Flavio were in attendance.

First official outing with the team

More memories were created on Friday morning as Test and Reserve Driver Paul Aron drove his first laps with us during a Grand Prix weekend. The Estonian took over Franco’s car for FP1 and completed 23 laps (83 miles) gathering useful data. Running on both the C4 and C5 Pirellis - in a weekend the Italian manufacturer celebrated its 500th GP - Paul’s session was briefly interrupted by a red flag - though, otherwise, ran smoothly,

“It was a lot of fun being back in a Formula One and to drive at Monza, which is such a fantastic track,” said Paul. “It was a busy session with plenty going on but we managed to stick to our programme and I was pleased to be on the pace straight away.”

Paul’s day didn’t end there as immediately after the session he flew back to Enstone to continue working on the simulator with additional feedback from his earlier on-track running. Franco returned to the A525 for FP2, completing 30 laps, while Pierre logged just over 200 miles across the two Friday sessions.

From the high seas to the high speeds

At Monza our Premium Partner MSC Cruises brought their culinary expertise to the race track, as top chefs served up a world-class menu for our drivers, pit crew, engineers and VIP guests. They enjoyed signature dishes from MSC Cruises’ specialty restaurants, including Eataly, Kaito Sushi and Teppanyaki, Chef's Garden Kitchen, Hola! Tacos & Cantina and more.

Among the many visitors to Monza were new Renault Group CEO François Provost and Alpine Cars CEO Philippe Krief, who were introduced by Flavio to partners including Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi, MSC Cruises Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago - and new Managing Director Steve Nielsen, on his first weekend back at the team.

“I was impressed by the focus, energy, and commitment shown by everyone, including our drivers Pierre and Franco,” said Renault Group CEO François Provost. “We are working flat out for 2026 with the new regulations, while also aiming to finish 2025 on a positive note. The motivation and precision I saw in Monza, at the track and also at the factories, give me confidence that we can achieve these goals and bring BWT Alpine Formula One Team back where it belongs.”

Also in attendance were our latest competition winners, who secured tickets and accommodation for the Italian Grand Prix and the Amgen Irish Open through a prize draw with team investor Rory McIlroy. They enjoyed the weekend in style, including a surprise garage tour on Sunday morning.

On the limit at the Temple of Speed

After Pierre’s contract announcement on Saturday, it was down to business on track for a final hour of practice before qualifying - but not before a quick visit to the Fan Forum to greet the passionate tifosi, who showed their amazing support for both drivers.

Unfortunately, given Monza’s unique layout, we knew this circuit would be a tough challenge. And in qualifying, Pierre lost a little time in traffic, but conceded that it was probably not enough to progress from Q1. While Franco set a time that was 0.111s quicker, but also didn’t manage to reach Q2.

It was perfect weather on Sunday, for the final race of the European season, and at just 73 minutes the Italian Grand Prix broke the record to be the fastest F1 race in history - at an average speed of just under 156mph.

We opted to start Pierre from the pit lane with a new power unit. He began the race on hards and ran long in the hope of a late-race Safety Car or red flag. Four laps from the end he pitted for fresh softs and finished 16th. Meanwhile Franco started P17 on new mediums and stopped on lap 33 for hards, crossing the line in the position he started.

“As racers, we know weekends like these are going to be difficult,” said Flavio after the race, “But we are confident with the work going on behind the scenes that better days lie ahead.” Next up are two challenging street circuits - Baku and Singapore - both renowned for delivering dramatic and unpredictable races.