Alpine brought a fast-tracked upgrade package to the Dutch Grand Prix and fitted it to Pierre Gasly’s car only, and the Frenchman promptly qualified eighth for Saturday’s Sprint. Franco Colapinto, still running the older specification, lines up 13th and must wait until Monza for the same parts. The team says the early evidence points to a genuine step forward after a difficult run of races before the summer break.
Formula One returned from its summer shutdown at Zandvoort, and BWT Alpine used the Dutch Grand Prix weekend to introduce an upgrade package rushed through development at its Enstone base. For now only one car has it: Pierre Gasly’s.
The split was deliberate. Managing Director Steve Nielsen said the team worked to “fast track an upgrade package for this event, which is running on Pierre’s car here with an aim to have it ready for Franco in Monza next time out.” That leaves Colapinto racing the earlier specification through the whole Dutch weekend.
How Friday unfolded
In Free Practice 1, Gasly was eighth with a 1min 13.911secs, while Colapinto ended the hour 13th on 1min 14.826secs. The order held in Sprint Qualifying: Gasly again took eighth with a 1min 12.578secs, Colapinto 13th on 1min 13.439secs.
That leaves Gasly starting the Sprint Race from P8 — the last point-scoring position in the short-format race — with Colapinto five places back.
Gasly encouraged, but cautious
Gasly said the car felt different straight away, though he was careful not to read too much into a single Friday.
“The early signs of the upgrade package are positive and I’ve definitely felt good in the car across both sessions today. It feels much stronger, more grip, and the car is reacting well to what I want.”
He added that the midfield remains tightly packed and that another step would be needed on Saturday. His stated targets are points inside the top eight in the Sprint, then a place in Q3 in Qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
A bittersweet day for Colapinto
Colapinto described his own position as mixed. He said it was positive for the team that the upgrade had worked, but acknowledged his own weekend is harder without it, adding that he still faces “the usual limitations at the wheel from before the summer break” and expects Saturday to be challenging on his side of the garage.
He pointed to the Sprint Race as another chance to find lap time, and noted that the tight midfield — and the Zandvoort weather, which is famously changeable on the North Sea coast — could open up opportunities.
What it means
Running a major update on one car only is a familiar trade-off in Formula One: the team gets a direct back-to-back comparison between old and new specification, but the driver left behind pays for it in the results. Colapinto himself framed the data as “useful comparisons going forwards”.
With a full grid of new-for-2026 machinery still being understood, Alpine’s read on whether the parts deliver what the simulations promised matters more than one Friday result. Nielsen called the update “impactful and meaningful” on the evidence of Sprint Qualifying, and said the aim is to repeat Friday’s form in Saturday afternoon’s Qualifying so both cars are in the fight for points on Sunday.
The Enstone squad — which has raced as Benetton, Renault and Lotus and holds seven Formula One World Championships from that site — fields the A526 this season across a 24-race calendar.
Facts: Alpine at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix
- Free Practice 1: Gasly P8 (1min 13.911secs); Colapinto P13 (1min 14.826secs)
- Sprint Qualifying: Gasly P8 (1min 12.578secs); Colapinto P13 (1min 13.439secs)
- Sprint Race grid: Gasly P8, Colapinto P13
- Upgrade package: Gasly’s car only at Zandvoort; planned for Colapinto at Monza
- Car: Alpine A526
The Sprint Race and Qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix follow on Saturday, with the Grand Prix itself on Sunday.
Source: media.alpinecars.com