Pierre Gasly, qualified eighth at Spa, had to abandon prematurely because of a mechanical failure, extending the black series of Alpine.
Difficult start to the weekend for Alpine. After a three-week break, Formula 1 resumed its rights on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, on the occasion of the Belgian Grand Prix. Qualified eighth for the sprint race this Saturday, Pierre Gasly saw his hopes fly away less than fifteen minutes from the departure, victim of a water leak on his car which forced him to a premature abandonment.
As he started his recognition towers, Gasly immediately felt a disturbing loss of power. “The team will try to repair this problem as quickly as possible,” said Alpine in a press release published on X. But the flight has proven irreparable. Forced to leave since the lane of the stands, two laps behind his competitors, the French pilot was quickly exceeded.
Despite this late attempt, Gasly could not keep the pace. He returned to the stands in the last round before the end of the Sprint race and without crossing the finish line. Visibly frustrated, he left his cockpit by briefly exchanging with Flavio Briatore and the technical staff, marking a new disappointment in this complicated season.
The black series continues for Alpine
This mishap is part of a black series for Alpine, faced with recurring mechanical problems and counter-performance. His teammate Franco Colapinto also experienced difficulties, starting from the stands following a late change in rear fin, before finishing 19th, just ahead of Gasly.
Last in the ranking, the French team must imperatively find solutions to reverse the trend and allow its pilots to materialize their potential. The situation is all the more critical since
Renault plans to withdraw from the project, no longer wishing to assume the related costs. For Pierre Gasly, frustration is palpable, and the road to redemption promises to be long and strewn with pitfalls.
