Alpine shines in China: Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto optimistic for the future. Alpine scores a strong result in Shanghai .

Alpine achieved a significant result in Shanghai, with both Pierre Gasly delivering an outstanding performance and Franco Colapinto, despite a contact, finishing in the points. The Shanghai weekend marks a resurgence for Alpine, securing a double top-ten finish and earning valuable points for the French team. The new technical partnership with Mercedes also appears to be starting to pay dividends.

The battle between Pierre Gasly and Oliver Bearman

Pierre Gasly expressed satisfaction with his sixth-place finish but was slightly disappointed at losing a potential fifth place after a tough battle with Oliver Bearman’s HAAS. A technical issue with the boost during a restart ultimately cost him valuable positions. “Part of me is really happy with sixth, but fifth was within reach,” Gasly said, anticipating a season full of close battles with the young British talent. “I would have liked to fight more, but that will happen often this year,” he added.

Franco Colapinto scores points

Franco Colapinto’s race was highlighted by a strong recovery from his twelfth-place starting position. The Argentine driver showed consistent race pace and managed the hard tires well. Unfortunately, a contact on lap 33 with Esteban Ocon’s HAAS, later penalized, hindered his progress. “It’s a shame it ended that way; that contact cost me two points,” Colapinto explained, yet he still managed to finish in tenth place.

Flavio Briatore’s satisfaction

Flavio Briatore expressed great enthusiasm for the nine points Alpine earned in China. For the Italian manager, this result proves that Alpine can regularly compete in the points zone. The team appears to be on the right path to climb back up in the championship standings. “Scoring points with both cars is a great reward for the Enstone team,” Flavio Briatore commented. The squad will head to Japan with new aerodynamic updates, with the declared goal of consolidating its position as the top Mercedes-powered customer behind the leading teams.

Overall, the Chinese Grand Prix represents a foundational success for the new era of Alpine. By combining a reliable Mercedes power unit with an increasingly efficient aerodynamic package, the team is proving it can overcome early-season hurdles. The growing synergy between Pierre Gasly’s experience and Franco Colapinto’s raw speed suggests that Alpine will be a formidable force in the midfield battle throughout the remainder of the 2026 calendar.