Alpine achieved the goal set for the Spanish Grand Prix weekend in Formula 1, with Franco Colapinto finishing seventh and Pierre Gasly in 12th. The result allowed the team to stay ahead of Racing Bulls and reduce the gap to the competitor in the constructors’ championship.
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Colapinto was the highlight for Alpine by scoring six points on a track that, according to the team’s executive consultant, Flavio Briatore, did not especially favor the car’s characteristics. The Argentine started well, managed the tires, and took advantage of the VSC entry to make his pit stop, staying on track until the checkered flag during a second quite long stint.
“I am very happy with today’s final result, with P7 and six points for the team,” said Colapinto. The Argentine driver also considered this his best weekend of the year in terms of execution, highlighting that he made the most of the performance and did what was necessary during the race to maintain the position.
Gasly’s strategy took a different path. After not maximizing his performance in the session and qualifying and starting in an unfavorable position, Alpine decided to keep him on track longer before a pit stop for tire change, taking the risk of waiting for a VSC or Safety Car at the end of the race. The expected neutralization did not appear, leaving the Frenchman in 12th.
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“We had to try something and took some risks. We were fast throughout the race, I left nothing on the track, but we needed a VSC or a Safety Car to benefit us at the end,” added the French driver.
Briatore assessed that Alpine exactly hit the target set before the Spanish stage: “The goal for this weekend was to stay ahead of Racing Bulls and reduce the gap to them in the constructors’ championship. We did that, so we can be satisfied with today’s race result,” he commented. The executive also praised Colapinto’s performance and explained that, given Gasly’s starting position, waiting for a late neutralization was the only alternative to try to get him into the points zone.
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