Alpine lost fifth place in the Formula 1 constructors’ standings to Racing Bulls after Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto both finished outside the points at the Hungarian Grand Prix. While Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad once again placed both Racing Bulls cars inside the top 10, Alpine left the Hungaroring empty-handed and slipped to sixth in the championship.
The outcome completed a deeply disappointing weekend for the Enstone-based team. Racing Bulls now hold a five-point advantage over Alpine, with the Faenza squad on 66 points and its midfield rival on 61 heading into Formula 1’s summer break. The contrasting fortunes of the two teams can be seen in the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix results and final classification.
Alpine lose fifth place to Racing Bulls in Hungary
The Hungarian Grand Prix was anything but satisfactory for Alpine. Neither driver managed to finish in the points, while the team also lost its direct battle with Racing Bulls for sole possession of fifth place in the constructors’ championship.
Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad both reached the top 10 once again, extending Racing Bulls’ advantage over Alpine to five points. It was another valuable double-points result for the Faenza-based team on an afternoon when Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix for McLaren.
Alpine, meanwhile, lacked the performance required to compete not only with Racing Bulls but also with Audi. Pierre Gasly started 12th and remained in the same position through to the chequered flag, leaving the French driver under no illusions about the team’s current level.
Pierre Gasly admits Alpine lacked the pace to score points
“Looking at the final result, as a team, we were not close enough to fight for points and we lacked the pace to compete with Racing Bulls or Audi,” Pierre Gasly admitted.
“We tried something different and had some fresh sets of tyres available, but even that did not make much difference to our race. We pushed and did our best, but this is the reality of where we are at the moment. There is no way to hide it, and we can only fix the situation ourselves by bringing more performance to the car.
“Sometimes the car does not give you the best feeling and you still have the pace to achieve a result, but at the moment the feeling with the car is not good and the performance reflects that as well.”
Pierre Gasly believes the summer break has arrived at a useful moment for Alpine, limiting the immediate damage that can be inflicted in the championship while the team prepares its next development package.
“Fortunately, the summer break comes at a good time, which means fewer races in which points are available and gaps can be created. We know that new parts are coming and we hope the upgrades bring the performance we expect.
“Other teams have shown that it can be done and we need to do the same. It is important to make the improvements, and quickly, otherwise it will make our lives difficult if we have to regain fifth place in the championship.”
Alpine hope incoming upgrades can transform their form
Pierre Gasly’s reference to rival teams making significant progress was particularly relevant after Aston Martin introduced an extensively revised car for Budapest. Although its immediate results remained limited, the sweeping changes to Aston Martin’s AMR26 B-spec demonstrated how aggressively teams are continuing to develop under the 2026 regulations.
Alpine will now need its own forthcoming parts to deliver a meaningful performance gain. Racing Bulls have already moved ahead by consistently turning midfield opportunities into points, leaving Alpine under pressure to respond as soon as racing resumes.
The five-point deficit is still recoverable, but Pierre Gasly warned that the task will become increasingly difficult if Alpine continue to lose ground. The team must improve both the drivers’ confidence in the car and its outright pace if it is to reclaim fifth position during the second half of the season.
Franco Colapinto suspects damage after finishing 15th
Franco Colapinto endured an even more difficult afternoon. After coming close to elimination in Q2, the Argentine driver could manage only 15th place in the race and reported problems with the car from the opening stages.
“It was a very demanding afternoon and, in general, we were lacking a lot of pace,” Franco Colapinto said, confirming the difficulties highlighted by Pierre Gasly.
“After the first three laps, I started having problems with the car and unfortunately I was never able to recover. Even with new tyres, we were still far off the pace and slow, so we need to understand why. Perhaps we sustained some damage because neither the balance nor the grip was optimal. We will discuss it with the team.
“We go into the break knowing that we need to continue working hard. We scored points in the last two races before today, but we need to improve.”
Franco Colapinto also pointed to Aston Martin’s development work as evidence that a substantial step forward remains possible during the season. Alpine’s challenge will be ensuring its own upgrades produce the expected gains quickly enough to restore its position in the midfield.
“Aston Martin have shown that it is possible to make a big step forward and we hope we can do the same soon when we bring the upgrades,” Franco Colapinto continued.
Colapinto staying in Hungary for Pirelli testing
Franco Colapinto will not immediately leave Budapest following the Grand Prix. The Argentine is set to remain in Hungary for several more days to take part in Pirelli testing before beginning his summer holiday.
“I will stay in Hungary for a few more days to take part in the Pirelli tests, but then I will go on summer holiday to rest so that we can return to Zandvoort ready to start again.”
The Dutch Grand Prix will therefore represent an important opportunity for Alpine to begin its response. Details of Formula 1’s return after the break are available in the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix schedule and session times.
Alpine enter the break facing a clear performance challenge. Pierre Gasly’s 12th place and Franco Colapinto’s 15th-place finish reflected the drivers’ dissatisfaction with the car, while Racing Bulls’ double-points result turned a level championship battle into a five-point deficit. The incoming upgrades must now help Alpine recover both performance and confidence if the team is to reclaim fifth place.
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