BWT Alpine Formula One Team left the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix without a single point, at the end of a punishing afternoon for Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto at the Red Bull Ring. Starting eleventh, Pierre Gasly brought his car home thirteenth after a three-stop strategy forced by severe tyre degradation. Franco Colapinto, who lined up sixteenth, finished fifteenth on a two-stopper, equally hampered by a poor getaway and a lack of overall pace.

Having come within a whisker of Q3 on Saturday with Pierre Gasly, BWT Alpine Formula One Team had hoped to convert that qualifying pace into points on race day. Instead, both Alpine A526s lost ground at the start due to a boost issue, before enduring a long, treacherous afternoon marked by excessive rear tyre wear. Outpaced by both Audis and the Racing Bulls, the Enstone squad leaves Spielberg with an unambiguous message: this Austrian Sunday has exposed weaknesses that cannot wait until Silverstone to be addressed.

Friday – Free Practice 1 & 2

In the heat of the Red Bull Ring, the Alpine A526 banks the data

BWT Alpine Formula One Team opened its 2026 Austrian Grand Prix weekend with a Friday as demanding as it was instructive at Spielberg. Around the Red Bull Ring — short, aggressive and utterly unforgiving of any margin lost — Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto used both free practice sessions to evaluate the Alpine A526, which arrived this weekend fitted with a package of new aerodynamic components concentrated primarily around the front wing and nose.

The day unfolded under intense heat, with track temperatures high enough to make rear stability, thermal management and cooling the dominant themes of every conversation in the garage. In these conditions, BWT Alpine Formula One Team also ran a cooling vest system for the drivers — a detail far from trivial when a cockpit is exposed to such extremes.

The programme was substantial: 118 laps completed in total, covering 509 kilometres for the team. Pierre Gasly completed 60 laps — 259 kilometres — while Franco Colapinto added 58 for 250 kilometres. Both drivers worked through all three available tyre compounds, C3, C4 and C5, in order to cover the full spectrum of single-lap preparation, degradation understanding and high-fuel race simulation.

In Free Practice 1, Franco Colapinto set the best result of the day for BWT Alpine Formula One Team, classifying eighth with a lap of 1’08”962. The Argentine placed the Alpine A526 in the top ten quickly, confirming that the initial feel of the new package could open up a useful window on a circuit where front-end confidence and traction on corner exit are the principal contributors to lap time.

Pierre Gasly, fourteenth in 1’09”546, had a quieter opening session — but one that was fully integrated into the team’s work plan. The Frenchman concentrated on comparative data collection around the new parts, with understanding the car taking precedence over the pursuit of an isolated headline time. On this sort of Friday, what matters is often less about the timing screen and more about identifying the right setup direction before Saturday.

BWT Alpine Formula One Team looks to convert a solid base into qualifying pace

The internal hierarchy reversed in Free Practice 2. Pierre Gasly raised his pace to finish eleventh in 1’08”376, right on the edge of the top ten. On a track still baking in the heat, the Frenchman confirmed that the Alpine A526 could compete in the midfield battle — where gaps are microscopic and any improvement between Friday and Saturday can swing the outcome of a session entirely.

Franco Colapinto, sixteenth in 1’08”831, had a more difficult second outing after a promising FP1. The setup changes made between the two sessions did not produce quite the expected effect, leaving the Argentine less in harmony with the car. The contrast between his two performances nonetheless gave BWT Alpine Formula One Team valuable material to analyse — particularly in understanding how the new components interact with the rest of the Alpine A526 in high-temperature conditions.

In the garage, the tone remained measured but constructive. Pierre Gasly described the day as one dominated by data collection — all the more significant given the introduction of new parts. The Frenchman acknowledged the work done both at Enstone and trackside to bring the package together in time, while noting that there was still performance to extract before Saturday. His reading was clear: BWT Alpine Formula One Team is in the fight with its usual midfield rivals, with a stated ambition of reaching Q3 and then the points on Sunday.

Franco Colapinto offered a more mixed assessment. His first session had provided a reasonable baseline, with useful comparisons on the new components, but he never felt fully connected to the Alpine A526. The changes made ahead of FP2 failed to produce the breakthrough he was looking for. The Argentine nevertheless has a clear picture of where the car worked and where it needs to improve — which at least provides a defined axis of work for the night ahead.

Steve Nielsen confirmed the productive nature of the day. Alpine’s Managing Director highlighted the volume of running, the wealth of data gathered and the early positive feedback around what he described as a solid base. He was careful to note, however, that the Red Bull Ring’s particular characteristics — its brevity and unusual layout — do not necessarily make it the most reliable test bed for judging an aerodynamic package. Silverstone, the following week, should offer a more comprehensive verdict.

One genuinely encouraging sign was the car’s behaviour on high-fuel runs. As in previous rounds, the Alpine A526 appeared more competitive on longer stints, which is an important indicator heading into race day. But converting that strength into points requires first qualifying higher up the grid. At Spielberg, where the lap is short and everything is compressed, getting both cars into the top ten will demand flawless execution.

Eyes on Saturday: tame the rear and aim for Q3

BWT Alpine Formula One Team thus closes its Austrian Friday with a mixed but constructive balance sheet. Franco Colapinto placed the Alpine A526 in the top ten in FP1, Pierre Gasly reclaimed the upper hand in FP2, and the team covered more than 500 kilometres to feed the analysis around the new package. The heat complicated matters — potentially creating instability at the rear — but the foundations look sound enough to build on.

The question is now straightforward: can the Alpine A526 translate a day of learning into raw pace when qualifying begins? Around a circuit as abbreviated as the Red Bull Ring, it will be essential to find the right balance between a sharp front end, a stable rear and properly prepared tyres. A few hundredths can separate an early exit from a place in Q3. For BWT Alpine Formula One Team, the night ahead will be decisive.

Before qualifying, the table below summarises the performances of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto across both free practice sessions on Friday at the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix.

Saturday – Free Practice 3 & Qualifying

Gasly agonisingly close to Q3, Colapinto caught out by an A526 still on the edge of its limits

BWT Alpine Formula One Team approached Saturday at the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix with one clear objective: turn Friday’s data harvest into a clean lap time. At the Red Bull Ring, where the circuit’s brevity compresses the field to the point where every hundredth is contested, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto knew that any hesitation could cost them several grid positions. The day confirmed that with some severity: the Alpine A526 had progressed, but not quite enough to force open the door to Q3.

Free Practice 3 served as a final calibration before the serious business began. Pierre Gasly posted eleventh in 1’08”193, while Franco Colapinto was fourteenth in 1’08”394. Both drivers remained in the same performance window as Friday — right in the thick of a dense midfield shared between BWT Alpine Formula One Team, Racing Bulls, Audi and Haas. The car felt more coherent than the day before, though the balance still became delicate whenever the drivers pushed to the very edge of the circuit’s width.

At 4pm local time, qualifying got underway in a charged atmosphere. The Austrian circuit, short and rapid, never grants a moment to breathe: three compressed sectors, a handful of heavy braking zones, aggressive kerbs, and a final sequence where the rear must be held absolutely firm to protect the momentum all the way to the line.

In Q1, BWT Alpine Formula One Team did what was required. Franco Colapinto was the quicker of the two Alpine A526s, eleventh in 1’07”894, demonstrating a real ability to produce a clean lap when the car stays within its operating window. Pierre Gasly, thirteenth in 1’08”038, also progressed to Q2 without any real alarm. Getting both cars through was a first box ticked — the more so as Gasly had managed to save a set of new tyres to maximise his options in the next segment.

BWT Alpine Formula One Team improves, but remains four hundredths shy of the top ten

Q2 then crystallised all the frustration of the day. Pierre Gasly produced a significantly stronger lap — 1’07”223 — good enough for eleventh, but not quite enough to break into the top ten. The Frenchman missed Q3 by just four hundredths, within touching distance of bumping Max Verstappen off the final qualifying spot. In the cockpit and in the garage, the feeling was the same: the lap was solid, probably close to the limit of what the Alpine A526 could offer in those conditions.

The result carries a particular sting. On one hand, Gasly demonstrated the progress made since Friday, with a more competitive car and a composed performance at the critical moment. On the other, BWT Alpine Formula One Team fell short of its usual ambition: at least one car in Q3. The Racing Bulls, sharper over a single lap this weekend, retained a small but decisive edge in the midfield battle. At Spielberg, that small edge is enough to rewrite the story of a qualifying session.

Franco Colapinto, meanwhile, could not build on his strong Q1. Sixteenth in 1’08”171, the Argentine saw his session unravel on his final Q2 attempt. Pushing hard from the very first corner to carry more speed through the lap, he lost the rear of the Alpine A526, ran wide and had to abort the effort. On a circuit where you must dance right on the limit to stay in contention, that limit slipped away at the worst possible moment.

Colapinto’s feeling echoed the observations from Friday: the Alpine A526 has improved, but it remains unpredictable when pressed to its absolute limits. The balance improvement found during the afternoon had not given him the confidence he needed to commit fully on a lap that counted. In a field this tight, failing to complete a clean Q2 run means dropping several places immediately.

For Steve Nielsen, the outcome could not be considered fully satisfactory. Alpine’s Managing Director acknowledged that the team targets both cars in the top ten every weekend, with a favourable grid position to fight for points. On this occasion, the classification honestly reflects BWT Alpine Formula One Team’s level at this circuit in these conditions: competitive, but still a half-step short of the best in the midfield pack.

Eyes on Sunday: trust the race pace to come through

BWT Alpine Formula One Team will start the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix with Pierre Gasly eleventh and Franco Colapinto sixteenth. It is not the qualifying performance the team had hoped for, but it is not a dead end either. Since Friday, the Alpine A526 had shown a more convincing face on high-fuel runs — a trend already observed at previous rounds. In that context, Sunday could yet offer a window to recover ground, provided the tyre degradation can be managed and the start delivers an early opportunity.

Pierre Gasly has realistic ambitions from eleventh. He lines up right on the edge of the points, with an obvious target in the Racing Bulls ahead. The Frenchman believes the battle will probably be fought against them, and that the start could present a first opportunity to reclaim positions. If the Alpine A526 does make the step forward in race trim that the data suggests it should, the points zone remains within reach.

For Franco Colapinto, the task is considerably more complex. Starting sixteenth at the Red Bull Ring means navigating traffic, dirty air and potentially a more aggressive strategy. But the Argentine can draw on the pace he showed in Q1 and the race potential the team has spoken about all weekend. The key will be finding a more readable car — less treacherous on corner entry — so that he can build a recovery without burning through the tyres.

BWT Alpine Formula One Team remains in a learning phase with its new components. The Enstone squad — heir to Renault F1 Team’s legacy — did not find the perfect lap at Spielberg, but it now has a more substantial data set to work with. Qualifying left regrets, above all with Gasly just four hundredths from Q3. The task now is to prove those results wrong on Sunday, when race pace, strategy and tyre management replace the raw stopwatch.

Before the race, the table below summarises the performances of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto across Free Practice 3 and qualifying on Saturday at the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix.

Sunday – Race

Poor starts, suffering tyres and no points for the Alpine A526

BWT Alpine Formula One Team closed its 2026 Austrian Grand Prix with a frustrating race — pointless and with no real strategic window to reverse the tide. After a data-rich Friday and a Saturday where Pierre Gasly had come within a whisker of Q3, the Enstone squad had hoped to lean on stronger race pace to fight back into the top ten. The race scenario dismantled that ambition early.

Pierre Gasly, starting eleventh on new medium tyres, finished thirteenth after a three-stop race. Franco Colapinto, sixteenth on the same compound, came home fifteenth on a two-stopper. Both Alpine A526s completed the 70-lap distance, but a lap down on the winner — symptomatic of a Sunday spent managing the situation rather than hunting points.

The first turning point came at the very moment the lights went out. Both drivers were caught by a boost problem on the straight, losing a noticeable amount of power from the line. At a circuit as abbreviated as the Red Bull Ring, where the opening sequence immediately determines your position in the midfield train, the handicap was costly. Gasly shed several places in the opening metres; Colapinto fell back even more heavily, swallowed up by traffic before the first lap was complete.

That botched start placed BWT Alpine Formula One Team in a deeply uncomfortable position: rather than looking ahead towards the Racing Bulls and tenth place, the team was left managing dirty air, overheating tyres and insufficient pace to mount a clean recovery. The Alpine A526 never rediscovered the race efficiency it had promised during the high-fuel runs on Friday, despite those encouraging early signals.

BWT Alpine Formula One Team overwhelmed by degradation, points slip away

For Pierre Gasly, the race quickly turned defensive. Gabriel Bortoleto applied pressure and found a way past in the early laps, the Audi carrying better momentum and a sharper initial rhythm. From that point, tyre degradation dictated the shape of his afternoon. Starting on new mediums, Gasly pitted on lap 13 for new hards, returned to the pits on lap 38 for new mediums, then made a final stop on lap 51 for new softs.

This three-stop strategy — also used by both Ferraris — was triggered in part under a virtual safety car in an attempt to limit the losses. It still did not allow BWT Alpine Formula One Team to turn the race around. Even with clear track ahead of him, Gasly could not find the pace to threaten the points positions. His fastest race lap of 1’11”466 reflects a performance that showed in flashes, but proved too fragile to sustain over distance.

The disappointment cuts deeper given how competitive the Alpine A526 had appeared on high-fuel running during practice. In Austria, that promise did not survive contact with race conditions. Grip levels were difficult to stabilise throughout, the balance never settled into a comfortable enough window, and degradation turned every stint into an exercise in tyre survival rather than performance extraction.

Franco Colapinto had an equally disrupted Sunday. Starting sixteenth on new mediums, the Argentine was hurt as badly as his team-mate by the boost failure off the line. Buried in traffic almost immediately, he spent a significant portion of the race scrapping with Oliver Bearman without the outright pace to move clearly through the field. His first stop came on lap 20 for new hards, with a second on lap 46 for new mediums.

The closing stages did at least allow him to get past Alex Albon and claim fifteenth. But even that result reflects the constraints of the package on this particular Sunday. Colapinto’s fastest lap of 1’11”795 was marginally off Gasly’s, and he too suffered from tyre wear — particularly on the rear axle — in what remained punishingly hot track conditions throughout.

On to Silverstone: understand the setback before the Sprint weekend

BWT Alpine Formula One Team leaves Spielberg empty-handed, outscored by both Audis of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg, while the Racing Bulls converted their Saturday advantage into points with ninth and tenth. In a championship where the midfield is decided by handfuls of points, the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix represents a sharp interruption in the expected momentum.

What is most concerning is not only the final classification, but the combination of problems encountered: poor starts, a boost deficiency, high degradation, an unstable balance and insufficient pace even in clear air. The updates introduced on the Alpine A526 generated data, but they did not make the car competitive across the full weekend. The team remains in a learning phase with this package, and the Red Bull Ring did not deliver the verdict it needed.

The immediate priority is to understand why the Alpine A526 failed to rediscover the Sunday form seen at other circuits this season — particularly in the heat, where tyre management and thermal handling might have been expected to play into its hands. Silverstone follows immediately, with a Sprint format adding an extra layer of complexity. It is also Enstone’s home race, and the crowd at Silverstone always turns out in numbers. That makes it the ideal occasion to demonstrate whether Austria was an isolated blip or the sign of something deeper that needs correcting.

For the team that carries Renault F1 Team’s legacy, the answer will need to come quickly. The data is there, the symptoms are clearly identified, and the field will not wait. At Spielberg, BWT Alpine Formula One Team absorbed the punches. At Silverstone, the response is due.

In their own words

Pierre Gasly, 13th:

“We have a lot to analyse after what was probably our most difficult race of the year. It was a complicated afternoon in terms of grip and balance, with severe tyre degradation. I had to stop three times because the tyres were going off very quickly.

The race hadn’t started ideally — we had a power issue on the straight. We lost positions and found ourselves stuck in traffic. Ultimately, we didn’t have the pace even in clear air, and as I said, the degradation was quite pronounced. We had been strong on Sunday in Barcelona, where it was also very hot.

I was therefore optimistic that those conditions would work in our favour against the Racing Bulls, but that wasn’t the case and there is a lot of work ahead of us. We clearly know the areas where we need to improve and I know the team will be looking for solutions to respond from the Sprint weekend at Silverstone.”

Franco Colapinto, 15th:

“It was a far from straightforward weekend. Overall, we never really had the pace or the grip. We struggled to find a good balance, the race was very long and the high track temperatures put enormous stress on the tyres, particularly the rear.

The pace on fresh rubber was solid, but it fell away quite sharply through the stint and the more we slid, the more the tyres built up heat. We need to understand better why that happened, because we are generally stronger on Sundays and today that wasn’t the case.

I also had a very poor start due to the boost issue, which forced us to fight back from the back of the pack from lap one. There were some good battles out there, but we want to be fighting further up the order and that is what we will be aiming for next weekend at Silverstone.”

Steve Nielsen, Managing Director Alpine:

“The reality is that we lacked the pace to be genuinely competitive this weekend and we were not in a position to fight for points at the flag. We tried everything to give ourselves a chance and stay in touch with the Racing Bulls, including switching Pierre to a three-stop strategy during the virtual safety car.

In the end, it made little difference to where we finished, which confirms we simply didn’t have the speed this week. We need to make sure this is an isolated setback rather than the beginning of a trend, and we need to understand why in order to put things right quickly. Both drivers suffered poor starts due to a boost issue off the line.

That is something we will need to investigate, as it has been one of our strengths until now. We are not satisfied, but we know that performance can fluctuate across the season. The important thing is to react and keep developing the car. It is also worth recognising the excellent work from our pit crew, who delivered five very clean stops today — no small feat in conditions this hot.

We are eager to bounce back and show the kind of form we produced earlier in the season. Next weekend is Enstone’s home race and the fans always turn out in force at Silverstone, so we will be working flat out to deliver a positive result and put on a good show.”

Before closing this 2026 Austrian Grand Prix report, the table below summarises the race performances of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto for BWT Alpine Formula One Team.

Source: BWT Alpine Formula One Team