With an early exit in Q2 and little chance of attacking in the midfield, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are disappointed in Melbourne.
Looking at the results of qualifying for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, it seems reasonable to assume that not much has changed at Alpine since last season. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto did make it through to Q2.
However, if we take out the weak Cadillacs, the crashing Max Verstappen, and the two non-starters Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll, a completely different picture emerges. To make it into the second part of qualifying, the two Alpine drivers only had to beat Fernando Alonso’s stuttering Aston Martin. A free pass?
Not quite, as Colapinto was able to outperform Oliver Bearman, who eventually finished 12th, in the first part of qualifying. So there seems to be room for improvement in the Alpine, but the French team is currently struggling to find the right setup. They had high hopes for the new Mercedes engine and sacrificed the 2025 season in favor of developing the 2026 car.
Gasly wants to “turn the tables” as soon as possible
Managing Director Steve Nielsen is not the only one who is disappointed: “The fact that both cars had to throw in the towel in Q2 is definitely not the start to the season we had hoped for or expected.” Gasly also seems at a loss in the face of the situation. “The whole weekend was extremely tough, even more complicated than in Bahrain. For some reason, which we don’t yet know exactly, the car is simply not responding as it should.”
The Frenchman’s laps in Q2 were “strong,” but according to him, there was simply “no more to be had.” “It’s a bitter pill to swallow,” Gasly said, dismayed. “The balance is miles away from what we had in Bahrain, even though we haven’t changed the car that much,” the Frenchman continued.
Gasly remains confident in his team’s ability to deliver performance, after all, this is only the first of 24 race weekends. Nevertheless, the 30-year-old would have liked to have been in a “much better position.” “But now the only thing that matters is how quickly we can turn the tables and respond to this setback.”
Colapinto expects strong fluctuations depending on the track
For his teammate Colapinto, too, the result in Melbourne comes as a cold shower. “After the test drives in Bahrain, we had expected much more here.” The plan had actually been “to fight for a place in Q3,” said the Argentine. “But we just couldn’t find that pace here.”
The strong performances of the Racing Bulls and Audi came as a surprise to Alpine in particular. “We had absolutely no idea that they would be so far ahead.” For the team, it’s now a matter of “understanding how to get the most out of our package.”
However, Colapinto is also certain “that the balance of power in the field will vary greatly from track to track.” “It will depend on who can get their car and energy management right on the respective circuit.”
