Alpine’s Pierre Gasly walked away from last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix with a smile – and just a hint of a grimace.
A top-six finish would normally be cause for pure celebration, but for a driver rediscovering his competitive edge in 2026, it came with a lingering “what if?”
After a difficult spell under the previous generation of Formula 1 regulations, Gasly and Alpine are no longer clinging to the fringes of the points. Instead, they are right in the thick of the midfield fight – and occasionally knocking on the door of something even bigger.
Not long ago, Alpine were struggling to stay relevant. Hampered by an underperforming Renault power unit and a car that simply couldn’t keep up, the team endured a frustrating 2025 campaign.
That prompted a reset: a switch to Mercedes customer engines and a fresh start under the new rules.
Fast forward to China, and the transformation is unmistakable. Gasly, who secured sixth place but came tantalizingly close to fifth, summed up his emotions candidly.
“I must say I am very happy,” he told reporters after the race.
“Deep inside me, the very competitive Pierre is a little annoyed not to get that P5. Because I really felt comfortable in fifth before the safety car was pulling away.”
That balance – contentment mixed with ambition – perfectly captures both Gasly’s mindset and Alpine’s current trajectory.
Safety Car setback
For much of the race, Gasly looked firmly in control of a top-five finish. His pace was strong, his composure steady, and his expectations measured.
“The pace was all fine,” he explained. “I wasn’t getting too carried away. Because I knew with these new cars and this new race, it’s not about whether they’re going to be a safety car. It’s when it’s going to be a safety car.”
When that inevitable interruption arrived, it changed everything.
“Eventually, it happened, I bunched up the whole field. At the restart, for whatever reason, I didn’t have the power when I went on power out of the last corner. So, Ollie passed me very easily and lost the position there.
“Then, the mid-race, and all the fighting with the Haas, with Max, and all of that, I kind of lost ground a bit on Bearman. Once I managed to clear all of them, I think I was a bit more than five seconds behind Max and eight seconds behind Bearman.”
Flat-out to the finish
Still, Gasly refused to settle. The closing stages became an all-out sprint – lap after lap pushed to the absolute limit as he tried to chase down Bearman after Verstappen’s retirement on lap 44 of 56.
“It was quali-lap after quali-lap, so on this side it was really enjoyable,” he said.
“I managed to catch up, but I put it in my mind that I was getting them no matter what. In the end, I just came short by two seconds. But it was still a very good day for the team.”
That fighting spirit – combined with genuine enjoyment behind the wheel – marks a stark contrast to the struggles of the previous season.
‘A completely different league’
Perhaps the most telling takeaway from Gasly’s weekend is just how far Alpine have come in such a short time.
“I think looking at 2025. Where we were, and where we are now. It’s a completely different league,” Gasly said.
“I’m very pleased, we did a good job in qualifying. A couple of tenths off a McLaren in the first stint. I wasn’t losing massive ground compared to the Ferrari.
“There are still many little things we need to fine-tune and fix, but they are not unfixable limitations. So, I’m pretty confident. China was special; hopefully, the performance will be quite similar to here in the coming races.”
With points finishes in the opening rounds and renewed confidence coursing through the team, Alpine will head to Japan next week with momentum on their side.
In a season already throwing surprises into the mix, Gasly’s blend of satisfaction and frustration might just be the clearest sign yet: he – and his team – are back in the game.
Read also: F1i Driver Ratings for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix
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