A Bittersweet Friday for Franco Colapinto at Zandvoort
Formula 1 returned from its summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix at the historic Zandvoort circuit, and it brought a story of contrasts within the Alpine team. While Pierre Gasly debuted the long-awaited aerodynamic upgrade package on his A526, Franco Colapinto had to make do with the previous version, the same one dating back to the Miami GP. The result: a gap of seven-tenths of a second in qualifying, with Gasly eighth and the Argentine 13th for Saturday's sprint race.
Far from being bad news, that gap is the best sign Alpine could have hoped for at the season's restart. The eight new technical solutions, including modifications to the floor, reshaped sidepods, new air intakes, and a Ferrari-style dorsal fin, worked. Gasly, in fact, said it "feels great" to drive the updated car and that it feels "much more solid and with more grip".
Colapinto's Frustration and the Team's Message
The Argentine driver, who had already anticipated his mixed feelings on Thursday, didn't hide his annoyance after qualifying. "There's a very, very big difference in cars. They're a lot of downforce points... It's part of the process. Obviously it sucks not having the upgrades, but on the other hand it's positive to have improved so much compared to past races", Colapinto told Fox Sports.
Along the same lines, Alpine's boss, Steve Nielsen, praised the work of both drivers under differing conditions: "Both did a great job today in fairly contrasting circumstances and we have a lot to evaluate." He also confirmed that the upgrade package will be available for Colapinto at the next Grand Prix in Italy, Monza, from September 4th to 6th.
"It's clear the update has had a big impact. Pierre's comments have been very complimentary about what he feels at the wheel, which allows us to be positive for the rest of the weekend and for Franco once we can fit it to his car."
The Numbers Behind the Performance
In Friday's free practice, Gasly clocked 1m13s911 to finish eighth, while Colapinto was 13th with 1m14s826. In sprint qualifying, the Frenchman improved to 1m12s578 (P8), while the Argentine, despite improving nearly seven-tenths in SQ2, couldn't make it to SQ3 and finished 13th with a time of 1m13s439.
The performance difference between the two Alpines was 0.644 seconds in qualifying, a huge gap on a short circuit like Zandvoort (4.259 km). That same margin was what separated Alpine from Racing Bulls in the last three races before the break, and it now appears to have been eliminated thanks to the new package.
| Session | Pierre Gasly (Upgraded Car) | Franco Colapinto (Old Spec) | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Practice | 1m13s911 (P8) | 1m14s826 (P13) | 0.915s |
| Sprint Qualifying | 1m12s578 (P8) | 1m13s439 (P13) | 0.644s |
Briatore's Presence and Motivation
Alpine's General Manager, Flavio Briatore, had a special gesture with Colapinto before qualifying: he called him into a private meeting at the team's new hospitality. Later, on his Instagram account, he posted a photo with both drivers and the message: "A good start to the weekend here at Zandvoort. It's clear the upgrades are positive and we must keep pushing."
What to Expect from the Sprint and the Race
Saturday's sprint race will take place at 7:00 AM (Argentine time) and will award points to the top eight finishers. Colapinto will start from 13th position, with the mission of gaining positions on a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult. Rain is forecast, which could be an ally for the Argentine, who knows his current car has limitations but doesn't stop fighting.
As for Gasly, the Frenchman will try to confirm the step forward and get into the points zone. Qualifying for Sunday's Grand Prix will take place on Saturday at 11:00 AM, and the main race will be on Sunday at 10:00 AM (Argentine time), covering 72 laps.
A Promising Future for Alpine
Beyond Colapinto's momentary frustration, the Enstone-based team has regained the status of "best of the rest" that it had lost in recent races. The new aerodynamics, inspired by solutions from Mercedes and Ferrari, managed to get ahead of Racing Bulls and Audi, their direct rivals in the midfield. With the same upgrades on Colapinto's car starting in Monza, Alpine will be able to fight with both cars in every race for the points needed to secure fifth place in the constructors' championship.
Franco Colapinto, who has 19 points in the championship and sits 12th, knows that patience pays off. And at Zandvoort, the gap to Gasly was, paradoxically, the best possible news.
Source: IMAGO News