BWT Alpine Formula One Team – Pierre Gasly scores Sprint point as Franco Colapinto confirms Alpine’s Miami momentum 2026

BWT Alpine Formula One Team continued its positive momentum in Florida. In the heavy heat of the Miami Grand Prix, the French outfit confirmed its status as the fifth force on the grid with a strong Saturday performance, highlighted by a Sprint point scored by Pierre Gasly and a double Q3 appearance.

On the Miami International Autodrome layout, the Alpine A526 displayed a more convincing balance than on Friday, despite some lingering traction difficulties on Pierre Gasly’s car.

BWT Alpine Formula One Team: Saturday – Sprint & Qualifying

A more stable Alpine A526 in the Florida heat

The Sprint format of the American weekend once again offered a very direct reading of the competitive order. Over the 19 laps contested on Saturday morning, BWT Alpine Formula One Team confirmed that the aerodynamic upgrades introduced in Miami are producing visible results.

Pierre Gasly started from tenth place on fresh medium tyres. Delivering a controlled Sprint, the Frenchman gained two positions to finish eighth and score an important championship point. His fastest lap of 1’33”072 confirmed improved stability from the car over short runs, even if traction out of slow corners remains an identified area of focus.

Franco Colapinto, eighth on the grid, hoped to convert his starting position into points. The Argentine lost ground through the opening corners after being caught in heavy traffic at the start. He finished tenth, only a few seconds shy of the top eight, with a fastest lap of 1’33”139.

Through the long acceleration zones of the Florida circuit, the Alpine A526 showed competitive top speed, particularly in the final sector. The specific package introduced this weekend — including a new rear wing and suspension evolution — appears to provide greater high-speed stability, a crucial factor on a circuit that places heavy demands on rear tyres.

The afternoon extended this positive trend. During Grand Prix qualifying, BWT Alpine Formula One Team placed both cars into Q3, a rare achievement in an increasingly competitive field. Franco Colapinto secured eighth place in 1’28”762, narrowly edging Pierre Gasly, who finished tenth in 1’28”810.

The gap to the top four teams remains significant, but Alpine clearly leads the midfield pack. The work carried out after the difficulties encountered in Japan appears to be producing measurable gains, particularly in tyre thermal management and one-lap soft compound performance.

BWT Alpine Formula One Team – finding the right rhythm

Miami confirms an important trend for the Enstone-based team: the progress of the Alpine A526 in conditions requiring strong mechanical grip. Historically, cars carrying the legacy of Renault Formula 1 Team have often excelled on medium-downforce circuits but struggled whenever traction became decisive.

This weekend, engineers focused their efforts on corner-exit stability, particularly through the slow sequences of Turns 11 and 17. Telemetry data suggests reduced wheelspin compared to Friday, although Pierre Gasly still reports a lack of consistency during certain acceleration phases.

Franco Colapinto also continues to demonstrate rapid adaptation to the car. For the second qualifying session in a row, he outpaced Pierre Gasly over a flying lap, a sign of growing confidence in the car’s behaviour and steady progress within the Alpine garage.

What they said

Pierre Gasly:

“Obviously, I cannot be completely disappointed with the day after scoring a point in the Sprint and making another Q3 appearance. We are clearly the fifth-fastest team here, but the top four teams are too far ahead and it was quite a lonely race to secure the final point available.

On my side, something is not working correctly and I am still struggling with traction. We continue to investigate it to better understand what is happening. We have not really experienced a similar issue this season, so I am convinced there was still more potential today in qualifying and we need to work on this moving forward.

We expect to fight for points again tomorrow. We are keeping a close eye on the weather forecast and we must be ready for any scenario. If it stays dry, it will probably be another rather lonely race. If it rains, opportunities may arise. We will see what happens and we will give everything to score as many points as possible.”

Franco Colapinto :

“I am very pleased with this result and eighth place in qualifying, just like yesterday in Sprint Qualifying. Overall, this weekend has gone well so far and I am really proud of the team and our performances.

After Japan, we addressed the lack of pace on my side by making several changes that seem to be paying off in Miami. It is very satisfying to see everything coming together. We lost positions through the opening corners of the Sprint.

We were boxed in by Max [Verstappen], while Lewis [Hamilton] was on the inside, so there simply was not room for everyone. It is unfortunate, but we hope to do better tomorrow. It is another positive result for the whole team, with Pierre and myself both reaching Q3.

This shows that the work completed during the break is delivering results and I hope we can leave with points tomorrow to reward the team.”

Steve Nielsen, Managing Director:

“It is good to confirm once again that we have the fifth-fastest car in Miami, with both drivers finishing inside the top ten in both the Sprint and qualifying.

We added a valuable point to our tally thanks to Pierre’s eighth place, and we are clearly targeting more with both cars tomorrow considering our grid positions. Congratulations to Franco for another strong performance with eighth place in qualifying. I am sure he will be eager to secure a better result after the way the Sprint unfolded, where only the top eight score points.

On Pierre’s side, he does not feel completely comfortable with the car this weekend and the team is working extremely hard to fully understand the issue. Something is not working correctly because we know how strong Pierre has been in qualifying since the start of the season. In any case, our focus now shifts to Sunday, with a chance of rain at some stage.

It could become a very uncertain day, but also one full of opportunities. We must therefore be prepared in every area.”

Conclusion: a sunday full of opportunity

Starting from eighth and tenth on the grid, BWT Alpine Formula One Team approaches the Grand Prix with realistic ambitions of placing both cars in the points. The weather threat could reshuffle the order on a circuit where the margins remain tight behind the leaders.

In a championship where every point matters, Miami could become a turning point for Alpine. The raw pace is there, the technical understanding is improving, and the car finally appears to be entering a more consistent operating window.

Before Sunday’s race begins, one certainty emerges: the French team is no longer merely chasing the midfield — it is becoming the benchmark within it.

Performance Table – 2026 Miami Grand Prix

🔗 Also read on Les Alpinistes

• BWT Alpine Formula One Team: Practice and Sprint Qualifying in Miami 2026

Source: BWT Alpine Formula One Team