BWT Alpine had a topsy-turvy weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, where weather constantly threatened and conditions were ever-changing. The team appeared to struggle with the setup required for Spa, as the track did not necessarily suit BWT Alpine’s package.
The Sprint clearly demonstrated this lack of pace, with Colapinto finishing in 19th and Gasly unfortunately not classified, despite a fantastic sprint qualifying that saw him in 8th. Early engine trouble caused him to start two laps down.
Regular qualifying saw the team slip back further, with setup changes for the race resulting in Gasly starting 13th and Colapinto starting 15th. It was a long race, with the start postponed by 80 minutes due to inclement weather severely limiting visibility.
With a rolling start limiting overtaking opportunities off the grid, and a wet track forcing the entire grid onto intermediate tires, Alpine had to fight hard to get into the points. Gasly managed to secure one point and seemed to enjoy his time in the car:
“It was a very intense race and I am pleased that we were able to make the right calls to come away with one point, which we can be satisfied with today.”
The weekend held special significance for Gasly:
“It is only a point but, after a race like that, defending from a number of cars for so long, we can be pleased. Every year, Spa is a special weekend for me for many reasons so it was nice to have my family here alongside Anthoine’s mum too.”
Franco endured a challenging race, complicated by weather and difficulty managing the medium tires through traffic and dirty air. Unfortunately, he finished 19th but took valuable lessons into the next weekend:
“It was a tough and long race for us. With the conditions, there was always likely to be some opportunity even starting from fifteenth after some cars started from the Pit Lane. It was very wet to begin and the conditions probably came to us as it dried as we opted for a low downforce wing to prioritise straight line speed.”
“We seemed to struggle for pace on the Medium in traffic. We then pitted again to cover Carlos [Sainz] but, in the end, we could not make any progress towards him.”
Flavio mirrored the sentiments of both BWT Alpine drivers, emphasizing the car’s weaknesses regarding track setup, and acknowledging how weather played a significant role in the weekend’s results:
“A big thank you to the fans in the grandstands who waited patiently for the race to start. It was a tough weekend for the team at a track that we know doesn’t play to the strengths of our package.”
“We tried something different by running less wing, which wasn’t easy in those conditions. So, it’s good to at least come away with a point and Pierre did well to keep the Red Bull, Haas and others behind in the closing stages. We pitted Franco to cover Carlos at the end but in the position they were in, it was unlikely to alter the outcome of the race.”
