BWT Alpine Formula One Team – A puncture robs Pierre Gasly of points, Franco Colapinto finishes 14th at the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix

BWT Alpine Formula One Team arrived in Qatar intent on turning a challenging 2025 campaign into an opportunity to rebound. Under the Lusail floodlights, with tyres difficult to warm and a narrow operating window, extracting performance from the Alpine A525 proved far more complex than expected. Friday confirmed the team’s struggles, but a remarkable turnaround on Saturday restored hope ahead of the race. That momentum was short-lived, however, as an early incident on Sunday destroyed Alpine’s prospects of scoring points.

Friday – Free Practice & Sprint Qualifying

A tricky opening day under the Lusail floodlights

Free Practice immediately exposed the difficulties facing BWT Alpine Formula One Team. On a dusty, slippery track, Pierre Gasly posted the 18th fastest time in 1:22.424 (25 laps), while Franco Colapinto finished 20th in 1:23.529 (26 laps) after a snap of oversteer damaged the A525’s floor.

Sprint Qualifying only reinforced the challenges. On his final SQ1 attempt, Gasly struggled with tyres that were still too cold at Turn 1, making it impossible to build a competitive first sector. Even though the final two sectors improved once the tyres came in, the deficit was already irreversible. He ended the session 19th in 1:22.112.

Colapinto endured an equally difficult evening. Encouraged by his pace on hard tyres in Free Practice, he was unable to replicate that performance on softs after another snap cost him a representative lap. With gravel traps lurking at the exit of many corners, the margin for error was effectively zero. He finished 20th in 1:22.364.

Saturday – Sprint & Qualifying

Sprint sacrificed, Q3 earned through bold choices

BWT Alpine Formula One Team made a clear strategic call: use the Sprint as a live test session. Both Alpine A525s started from the pit lane with heavily revised setups designed to unlock one-lap pace rather than Sprint performance.

In the Sprint, passing proved as difficult as ever in Lusail’s high-speed corners. Gasly finished 18th (best lap 1:23.188) and Colapinto 20th (best lap 1:23.765), with the emphasis entirely on gathering data.

The gamble paid off. By Qualifying, the A525 had been transformed. Pierre Gasly rediscovered confidence and precision, piecing together strong laps to reach Q3 for the tenth time this season. His 1:20.477 secured ninth on the grid — a major turnaround from Friday.

Colapinto, despite an improved car, made two small mistakes in the final corners and had to settle for 20th in 1:21.137.

Sunday – Race

A puncture destroys Alpine’s hopes, Colapinto climbs to 14th

Starting ninth on medium tyres, Pierre Gasly was well-placed to target points. But after running slightly wide at Turn 14, his race unravelled when Nico Hülkenberg attempted an ambitious move into Turn 1, clipping the Alpine’s front-left tyre and causing an immediate puncture. Gasly was forced to pit with damage and eventually finished 16th despite a best lap of 1:25.376.

Franco Colapinto started from the pit lane on new hards and delivered a steady, disciplined drive. With mandatory stops at laps 7 and 32 for fresh mediums, he climbed to 14th, improving throughout the race and setting a best lap of 1:25.644. His pace was more encouraging than in qualifying, even if the lack of strategic flexibility limited overtaking opportunities.

They said

Pierre Gasly (16th)

“Today’s result is really disappointing, because starting from ninth we absolutely had the pace to fight for points. I was expecting a lot from this race after the step forward we made with the car yesterday.

We picked up some damage when I ran wide at Turn 14, and then Nico [Hülkenberg], on soft tyres, was putting me under pressure for a few laps. I held my line into Turn 1, we were side by side, and he clipped my front-left tyre trying to get past.

From that moment on, our race was more or less over with the puncture, and it was clear it would be very difficult to recover with a damaged car. Now our focus shifts to the final race next week in Abu Dhabi. We’ll try to repeat the performance level we showed and put ourselves back in the fight for points.”

Franco Colapinto (14th)

“Starting from the pit lane, and with the maximum-lap tyre limits, we knew most teams would run similar strategies, so there wouldn’t be many opportunities to move forward. There wasn’t much more we could do, and we didn’t really have a strategic card to play.

It was a long evening, although we did manage to gain a few places and stay close to the cars around us. The car felt better thanks to the setup changes, but in the end we just lacked pace and strategic options to attack. I was disappointed with my performance yesterday, but today was an improvement.

I still struggled with grip, especially with a lot of sliding towards the end. It’s been a weekend full of learning, and the team was able to try several things. Now we turn our attention to Abu Dhabi, where we’ll all try to finish the season on a positive note.”

Conclusion

Qatar once again underlined how unforgiving the 2025 season has been for BWT Alpine Formula One Team. Gasly’s return to Q3 was no stroke of luck — it reflected a well-executed engineering reset and a car that finally operated in its proper window. Yet, as has happened too often this year, the race collapsed before the team even had the chance to defend its position.

Beyond the disappointment, the data gathered in Lusail remains valuable. The A525 showed it can regain clarity and precision over a single lap when tyres and balance align. The challenge now is to apply those lessons in a cleaner environment.

And Abu Dhabi will carry a particular emotional weight: it marks the final Grand Prix for the Renault power unit. A moment both symbolic and bittersweet for Viry-Châtillon, whose contribution to Formula 1 stretches across decades of innovation and world titles. A points finish would be the most fitting tribute — a final nod to the engineers who shaped one of the sport’s enduring technical legacies.

Qatar Grand Prix 2025 – Performance Summary

Source : BWT Alpine Formula One Team