Pierre Gasly has expressed his frustration after Alpine endured another disappointing Formula 1 weekend at the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix, finishing 14th behind team-mate Franco Colapinto. The French driver also revealed that the team had identified unusual aerodynamic data in wet conditions, adding to its concerns about a lack of grip and competitiveness at Interlagos.
Alpine once again failed to score points, with Franco Colapinto finishing 13th and Pierre Gasly 14th in a race complicated by changing weather and difficult tyre decisions. Both drivers acknowledged the team’s struggles in wet conditions, although Pierre Gasly was encouraged by the car’s performance on soft tyres when the circuit was dry.
Alpine suffers another double points finish failure at Brazilian GP
Since the dramatic collision between Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Alpine has endured a prolonged period of disappointing results. Apart from Pierre Gasly’s 10th-place finish in Austin, the French team has consistently finished outside the points, losing further ground to Racing Bulls in the constructors’ championship.
With three rounds remaining in the 2026 Formula 1 season, Racing Bulls has become increasingly established in fifth place in the standings. Alpine, meanwhile, continues to search for answers after another weekend in which neither of its drivers managed to break into the top 10.
The Brazilian Grand Prix confirmed the team’s difficult form, with Franco Colapinto taking 13th place after an afternoon complicated by São Paulo’s constantly changing weather. The Argentine driver explained that the transition between intermediate and soft tyres made it particularly difficult to maintain a competitive rhythm.
Franco Colapinto explains Alpine’s tyre strategy problems at Interlagos
Franco Colapinto described a challenging race in which finding the correct moment to switch between wet-weather and dry-weather tyres proved especially difficult. Alpine struggled to extract sufficient grip as conditions changed, leaving the Argentine unable to establish consistent pace.
“It was a tricky race, particularly because of the weather conditions, which made driving very complicated,” Franco Colapinto explained. “We started on intermediates and then had to work out the right moment to switch to softs. It wasn’t easy at all because there was so little grip.”
“I focused on managing the race and the tyres, but because we were struggling to find a rhythm, we had to come into the pits to fit the softs. Shortly afterwards, the rain returned and we switched back to intermediates.”
The changing conditions continued to expose Alpine’s difficulties, with Franco Colapinto admitting that the car lacked the necessary performance on intermediate tyres. The team is now examining why its wet-weather competitiveness was so limited throughout both qualifying and the race.
“Our pace on those tyres wasn’t the best, which put us at a disadvantage. I know the team is trying to understand why we struggled so much in the wet, both on Saturday and Sunday.”
Despite the disappointing result, Franco Colapinto found some positives in the racing itself and is already looking towards the next round of the championship.
“Despite everything, it was a lively race with some good battles on track. We’ll analyse all of this before heading to Las Vegas, where I hope the conditions will be more favourable for us and allow us to be in a better position to fight for points.”
Pierre Gasly reveals unusual aerodynamic data after wet-weather struggles
Pierre Gasly was even more disappointed with the outcome at Interlagos, having finished 14th behind his Alpine team-mate. The Frenchman’s frustration extended beyond the final classification, however, as he revealed that the team had detected unusual aerodynamic readings in wet conditions.
“It was a very challenging afternoon for us, and it’s disappointing to miss out on the points once again, especially in unpredictable conditions like these, which I usually enjoy,” Pierre Gasly admitted.
“We have a lot to analyse, particularly regarding our performance in wet conditions this weekend, because the grip was really poor on both the intermediate and full wet tyres.”
Alpine’s wet-weather difficulties had already become apparent during qualifying, prompting further investigation into the behaviour of the car. According to Pierre Gasly, the team discovered anomalies in its aerodynamic data that it will need to examine more closely before drawing conclusions.
“After the frustration in qualifying, we noticed some anomalies in the car’s aerodynamic data in the wet. I know we’ll take the necessary time to analyse them and understand them better.”
The issue remains an important area of investigation for Alpine, particularly because both drivers reported difficulties finding grip in the changing conditions at Interlagos. The challenges of tyre selection and track evolution were a major factor throughout the Brazilian Grand Prix, with pre-race analysis highlighting the uncertainty surrounding rain and tyre strategy in Brazil.
Pierre Gasly encouraged by Alpine’s dry-weather pace ahead of Las Vegas
Despite Alpine’s disappointing overall performance, Pierre Gasly identified one encouraging aspect of the Brazilian Grand Prix. The French driver was satisfied with the car’s behaviour on soft tyres and believed the team had been among the fastest during the dry-weather phase of the race.
“I was quite happy with the car’s behaviour on the soft tyres, and we were among the quickest during the dry part of the race.”
That contrast between dry-weather competitiveness and wet-weather difficulties has given Alpine another area to investigate. While the team struggled for grip on intermediate and full wet tyres, its performance on slicks offered Pierre Gasly some encouragement following an otherwise frustrating weekend.
The French driver also acknowledged that Alpine’s recent results have fallen short of expectations. Nevertheless, he is looking forward to a short break before returning his attention to the next Grand Prix.
“It’s a shame that the last few weeks haven’t gone as planned, but I’m looking forward to going home and taking a few days to recharge before focusing fully on Las Vegas, where we’ve been quick in the past.”
With the 2026 Formula 1 calendar approaching its final three races, Alpine faces the challenge of understanding its wet-weather weaknesses and returning to the points. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto will hope that Las Vegas provides more favourable conditions after another difficult weekend in Brazil.
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