Alpine had a tough weekend at the Mexico Grand Prix. In the qualifiers, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto finished 18th and 20th respectively, and they couldn’t keep up with the pace of the rest in the race. The team was classified last: Gasly finished 15th, Colapinto 16th. With a lag of over 37 seconds behind the field, Alpine faces a significant challenge if they don’t want to finish last in the constructors’ championship.
For most of the race, the two Alpine drivers seemed to be in a race of their own. From the rear starting positions, the team opted for split strategies: Colapinto started on the hard tyres, Gasly on the mediums. Yet, both drivers crossed the finish line almost simultaneously after the VSC at the end of the race, far behind the rest of the field.
Gasly described the weekend as tough: “It was a very difficult race for us as a team and there is a lot to evaluate. It didn’t feel like we made the best of it. Hopefully, we can improve in São Paulo. I remain motivated, we are all doing our best and we need to make the most of what we have for the rest of the season.” Teammate Colapinto also looked back disappointedly: “Apart from the promising pace in the last stint on the soft tyres with less fuel, it was a long and lonely afternoon. We continue to learn, fight and hope to be more competitive in Brazil.”
South American Home Race
Colapinto is already looking forward to his almost-home race in Brazil: “I can’t wait to return to São Paulo and race for the South American fans. Last year, that weekend was emotional for various reasons; this year, I want to enjoy it and see the fans, even though the results are not there yet.” Alpine leaves Mexico empty-handed and with a significant deficit in the constructors’ championship. The weekend was a harsh reminder that there is still a lot of work to be done for the French team before they gear up for Brazil.
