The new Alpine F1 presented on board Msc World Europa
During the event, the ship used bio-GNL, with zero net carbon emissions. In line with the car that will use synthetic fuel
For the first time, a Formula One team presented the new livery of a car on a cruise ship. The 2026 livery of the A526 single-seater was unveiled to the public, by the Bwt Alpine F1 team, during an event on board Msc World Europa, while it was docked at the shipping company's new terminal in Barcelona. The occasion brought together pilots Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, Alpine's executive advisor Flavio Briatore, Msc Crociere executive chairman Pierfrancesco Vago and a select group of guests.
The ship operated using bio-GNL, through the European mass balance system, meaning that the unit was carbon neutral for the duration of the event. This approach, explains a note, 'complements the new Bwt Alpine F1 team car which, for the 2026 season, will use synthetic fuel, a fuel that Msc Cruises is also preparing to employ in the future'.
Vago emphasised that 'although the worlds of cruising and Formula 1 may seem very distant, we share the same DNA: a deep commitment to teamwork, innovation and the creation of unforgettable moments, just like the ones our extraordinary crew offers every day on board our ships'.
For his part, Briatore said he was 'very grateful to our partners at Msc Crociere for their support and commitment to our team. We are preparing for what will, without doubt, be a unique season in the history of Formula 1, also in light of the new technical regulations. We start the season with a clean sheet of paper and a great opportunity to be more competitive than in previous campaigns. It has been a very intense few months, at the Enstone factory, in preparation for the season, during which we have designed and built the A526, together with Mercedes-Amg, which will supply the new power unit and gearbox from this season onwards.
Msc Cruises also announced that it will be partnering with Bwt "to fully implement Aqua by Msc across the fleet (a project that will distribute fresh filtered and mineralised water on board, thanks to Bwt's signature purification technology, ndr), which will allow for the elimination, on average, of over 4 million plastic bottles per month. By 2026, this will represent an annual average of over 49 million single-use plastic bottles eliminated fleet-wide'.
