Gasly and Colapinto Reflect on Shanghai Points

Alpine left Shanghai with points but mixed emotions, as Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto found positives amid frustrations after the Chinese Grand Prix.

Gasly brought the A522 home in sixth to collect eight points — his best finish since the 2025 British Grand Prix. He called the result pleasing but admitted disappointment at missing out on fifth, which he felt was attainable before the Safety Car disrupted his race. Gasly had been competitive all weekend, running seventh in both Sprint Qualifying and Qualifying, and had the pace to mix it with the leading midfield. He lost some places mid‑race while duelling with a Haas and Max Verstappen, and watched Ollie Bearman pull clear. Still, he described the day as a “fantastic result for the team” and said Alpine now have the speed to regularly contest those positions.

Colapinto added a point with tenth place — his first since the 2024 United States Grand Prix. The Argentine called the race “tricky,” citing contact with teammate Esteban Ocon after taking a wide line through Turns 1–2; Ocon clipped the right‑rear of Colapinto’s car and cost him two positions. Despite feeling a bit unlucky at moments, Colapinto enjoyed the race, highlighting the recovery from a poor start to a strong finish and underlining how valuable every point is for the team.

Alpine’s decision last season to prioritise the 2026 car and switch to Mercedes power appears to be yielding benefits. The team sit seventh in the championship and are only a couple of points behind Red Bull and Racing Bulls, a sign of improved competitiveness early in the year. The intra‑midfield battles — notably Gasly versus Bearman and ongoing skirmishes with Haas — look set to be recurring storylines as the season continues.