Gasly ‘relieved’ as late Safety Car in Spain leads to points as Colapinto identifies key area to improve

Pierre Gasly secured a crucial eighth-place finish for Alpine at the Spanish Grand Prix, adding valuable points in what is proving to be an intensely competitive Constructors' Championship. Despite his strong performance, the French outfit slipped to P10 in the standings after Nico Hulkenberg's impressive drive for Kick Sauber. Gasly's race was a strategic battle, starting within the top 10. A late Safety Car provided Alpine with a pivotal opportunity, and the team made the astute call to switch him to soft tyres. This decision allowed Gasly to effectively fend off rivals and consolidate his position, eventually inheriting eighth after Max Verstappen incurred a time penalty. Gasly admitted it was a "challenging Sunday" but expressed relief at the points, acknowledging the team's vital strategy call. He highlighted the ongoing struggle with race pace compared to qualifying performance, an area Alpine aims to review. Meanwhile, Alpine junior Franco Colapinto faced a "tough race" in Barcelona. Starting from the back of the grid, Colapinto managed to climb to 15th, gaining valuable experience despite calling his outing "disappointing." He noted the difficulty of overtaking on the circuit and the significant tyre degradation in dirty air, underscoring the importance of track position and his need to improve qualifying performance.