Alpine concluded a busy Friday filled with work, where numerous interruptions in both FP1 and FP2 created several unexpected challenges. Now the team must optimize the data collected and aim to build a positive Saturday for both Pierre Gasly and Colapinto. Here’s how the drivers felt after the sessions.
Gasly’s impressions
Pierre Gasly explained that driving in Singapore is always a unique challenge. The track’s irregularities make it particularly difficult for Alpine, a team that tends to struggle in such conditions. He described the day as intense and appreciated the opportunity to test many aspects of the car to better understand how to improve the package. While the gap to the other cars is not yet where he would like it to be, Gasly said the focus will remain on improving their own performance.
He also noted that there are certain corners where performance could be improved tomorrow, and the team will work on those areas. Gasly felt comfortable at the limit but acknowledged that the car still needs additional progress. He added that the team tested the cooling kit during the day and observed no significant differences, indicating that everything likely functioned as expected.
Colapinto’s impressions
Franco Colapinto described the day as productive, with many experiments conducted on the car. He emphasized that Fridays are exactly for this purpose: gathering data to be analyzed overnight in preparation for qualifying. Starting as high as possible on the grid is essential at Singapore, given the difficulty of overtaking.
Despite a second session interrupted by red flags, Franco Colapinto managed to complete many laps and cover most of the planned program. Towards the end, he felt the car was improving, but a minor collision with the wall at Turn 17 prevented him from setting a better time. He concluded that there is much work to do tonight and during FP3 to fine-tune the setup and extract the maximum from Alpine’s package.
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