Pierre Gasly salvaged one point for Alpine at the United States Grand Prix in Austin despite significant damage to his A526 following contact with Haas driver Oliver Bearman. The incident cost the French driver almost 10 points of downforce, making an already difficult race considerably more complicated.
Even so, Pierre Gasly secured another top-10 finish for Alpine in a season that has delivered far more satisfaction than 2025. However, not everything went according to plan in Texas, and fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship is becoming increasingly difficult for Alpine to reach.
Pierre Gasly loses nearly 10 points of downforce in Austin contact
On the second lap of the Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly came under attack from Oliver Bearman at Turn 13. The British driver was clearly attempting to break into the top 10 and put Haas back into the points, but the move did not go as intended.
The available space gradually disappeared and Oliver Bearman attempted to place two wheels on the yellow section of the kerb outside the track in an effort to avoid contact. Despite that evasive move, his front-left wheel struck the side of Pierre Gasly’s Alpine.
The contact between the two cars was relatively light, but it caused extensive damage to the A526. The stewards subsequently handed Oliver Bearman a 10-second penalty for the incident.
“It’s a shame about the contact with Ollie because it was a light touch, but it damaged quite a large section of the right-hand side of the floor, both at the front and in the middle,” Pierre Gasly said after the Austin race.
“I think we lost almost 10 points of downforce, so our afternoon became significantly more complicated.”
Damaged Alpine leaves Pierre Gasly wondering what was possible
The damage to the A526 nevertheless left Pierre Gasly wondering what he might have achieved with an undamaged car. In particular, the Alpine driver questioned whether he could have fought Liam Lawson for ninth place.
It is an important question for Alpine because Racing Bulls is increasingly establishing itself in the fight for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship. Only by finishing ahead of the Racing Bulls VCARB03 cars can Alpine keep its hopes of closing the gap alive.
“Considering that we were tenth, I’m happy with the result. I would have liked to see what we could have done against Liam without that damage, but we’ll never know,” Pierre Gasly explained.
Despite losing aerodynamic performance, Pierre Gasly stressed that the Alpine did not become impossible to drive. Instead, the main consequence was a general reduction in grip caused by the lost downforce.
“Honestly, it didn’t become undriveable. I just think we were lacking overall grip. In any case, it was obvious that we had lost downforce, and that’s never ideal. Given those circumstances, I think we can be satisfied to come away with one point.”
More news from the United States Grand Prix
- Fernando Alonso criticises F1 driving standards after Alex Albon’s Austin crash
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli closes in on the F1 title after crucial Austin victory
- Ferrari’s Austin race analysed after hard tyres revive the SF-26’s pace
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