The Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix had a frustrating conclusion for Alpine, as Pierre Gasly was forced to retire from the race following an incident with Nico Hulkenberg, while Franco Colapinto, who started from the pit lane, finished 14th. Gasly, who started ninth, was knocked out of the points battle due to a puncture after making contact with the Haas driver.
“It was a huge disappointment, as we were definitely in the fight for points. I was very excited about the car’s potential after the evolution yesterday,” said Gasly. “We had damage after exiting turn 14, and then Nico, with soft tires, put a lot of pressure on me. I held my line in turn 1, we were side by side, and then he made contact with my left front tire while trying to overtake. That basically ended our race, we had a puncture, and with the damaged car, it would have been difficult to recover,” the French driver explained.
On the other hand, Colapinto, who started from the pit lane, acknowledged that strategic options were limited during the race: “We knew that, with the times of the two mandatory stops, it would be difficult to make progress. It was a long and lonely weekend, but we managed to gain some positions. The car was better with the setup changes, but we still lacked pace and strategic options to attack,” he said.
Alpine now turns its attention to the final race of the season, in Abu Dhabi next weekend, in the hope of ending the year on a positive note. “We are looking forward to the last race, trying to finish the season on a positive note, especially as a team,” concluded the Argentine driver.
With a challenging end to the season, both Gasly and Colapinto will strive to deliver their best performance at the Yas Marina Circuit in an attempt to close out the 2025 season with good results.
