Alpine Weekend Wrap-Up: Spanish Grand Prix 2025
Round 9: 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain
Race Date: Sunday, June 1
The BWT Alpine F1 Team concluded a demanding triple header with a points finish in Barcelona, as Pierre Gasly crossed the line in the top ten to secure a valuable reward from a hard-fought Spanish Grand Prix. Teammate Franco Colapinto endured a more difficult afternoon, bringing the car home outside the points after a challenging stint in the midfield pack.
With Alpine celebrating its 70th anniversary this weekend, marked by a special livery and custom team racewear, the team leaves Spain with some positive takeaways and clear areas for development heading into the next round in Montréal.
Gasly Returns to the Points
After a standout performance in Qualifying, Pierre Gasly managed his race with focus and discipline to bring home points for the team on Sunday. Despite tyre challenges and strong pressure from the cars behind, Gasly executed a late-race strategy adjustment under the Safety Car that allowed him to defend on fresher tyres in the final laps.
Pierre Gasly: “It was a more challenging Sunday for us, but, all in all, it is a good outcome to score points today. We knew after Monaco we needed to bounce back and the team did a great job with the late pit call when the Safety Car came out. It gave me a free stop and the chance to hold on until the end.”
“We have plenty to review. I know we will reflect together as a team. We have to keep working hard and really aim to fix some of our weaker areas going into Canada.”
Colapinto Reflects on a Tough Race Day
Franco Colapinto faced an uphill battle in Barcelona after starting from the back of the grid. While the team found improved pace in race conditions compared to earlier sessions, Colapinto struggled to make significant progress in a race where overtaking proved difficult.
Franco Colapinto: “It was a disappointing afternoon and a tough race. We had better pace today than earlier in the weekend, which is a positive, but it’s a tricky circuit to overtake and the tyres suffered a lot in the dirty air.”
“It goes to show how important track position is. I know there is more to improve, especially in maximising the car’s potential on low fuel. I look forward to continuing the work with the team heading into Montréal.”
Briatore: “We must regroup and dig deep”
Team Principal Flavio Briatore praised the team’s ability to capitalise on strategy and salvage points from a difficult weekend, but reaffirmed that the team is still not operating at the performance level it expects.
Flavio Briatore: “As a positive, we come away from Barcelona with some points after a tough weekend for the team. Pierre drove a solid race and the strategists made a good call under the Safety Car, which allowed him to finish strong.”
“Franco’s afternoon was always going to be tough starting at the back. He didn’t progress as much as we’d hoped, but there are learnings we’ll take forward.”
“We know we are not where we want to be with the car. That’s been clear through the last three races. As a team, we must regroup and dig deep to get ourselves out of this position.”
Looking Ahead: Canada on the Horizon
The team now heads into a short break before returning to action at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montréal. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve presents a mix of high-speed straights and heavy braking zones—offering a new set of demands for the A525 and another opportunity to close the performance gap.
New Regulations, Minimal Shake-Up
The Spanish Grand Prix marked the first race under the FIA’s updated technical directive on front wing flexibility, which aimed to limit excessive aero-elasticity and close off potential aerodynamic loopholes. While there was anticipation that the regulation change could lead to shifts in the competitive order, the outcome in Barcelona suggested otherwise.
For most teams, including Alpine, the adjustments required to meet the new load test thresholds did not dramatically alter car balance or performance. The front wings were reinforced as required, but the core hierarchy of the grid remained largely consistent with previous rounds.
That said, the longer-term impact of the regulation may still play out as development paths diverge. Alpine will continue to assess how these changes affect aerodynamic efficiency and setup direction across upcoming races—particularly at tracks where wing flexibility previously offered more pronounced gains.
Trak Racer Proudly Supporting Alpine
As the Official Racing Simulator Supplier of the BWT Alpine F1 Team, Trak Racer stands alongside Alpine through every challenge and every race. From early prep in the simulator to precision on track, our sim racing hardware is trusted by professionals competing at motorsport’s highest level.
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