Alpine's team principal showed his frustration with the weekend at Zandvoort. The upgrades did not meet expectations, and Colapinto's penalty ruined his race. Alpine scored two points, but Racing Bulls and Audi are lurking.
Flavio Briatore, Alpine's team principal, has expressed his concern about the team's performance at the Dutch Grand Prix, despite the two points scored by Pierre Gasly. The Italian highlighted the threat from Racing Bulls and Audi and questioned the performance of the eight upgrade package introduced at Zandvoort: "We left Zandvoort somewhat frustrated, although we gained two points over our direct rivals in the Championship" declared Briatore at the end of a weekend that left more questions than certainties at the Enstone team.
The French team presented an upgrade package on Gasly's car, but the Frenchman failed to make it into Q3 and found strong competition in the midfield: "We brought upgrades to this race that have undoubtedly had an impact, but it's clear that we need to learn more about them and continue improving their performance to increase our advantage in the Constructors' Championship. Racing Bulls remain competitive, and Audi was exceptionally fast" warned the Italian, who sees how his direct rivals are dangerously closing in in the standings.
Franco Colapinto's race was ruined by a drive-through penalty for overtaking Yuki Tsunoda under double yellow flags during Max Verstappen's crash on the first lap. Briatore lamented the result but accepted the penalty: "Franco's race was practically sentenced from the start after a severe drive-through penalty. We know it's disappointing for him, but we recognize that these rules exist for safety reasons, and we must learn from it" he added, avoiding any criticism of the stewards' decision.
The Argentine, who had shown good pace during the weekend, was relegated to the back of the grid and could not fight for points. The penalty was a hard blow for his aspirations and for the team's, which needs to score points with both cars to maintain its position in the constructors' championship: "It hasn't been a perfect race weekend for us, but we head to Monza ready to keep fighting" concluded Briatore, with his sights set on the next round.
Alpine's performance at Zandvoort has been a reminder of how competitive the midfield is. The team needs to improve the car's performance and avoid mistakes like Colapinto's penalty if it wants to maintain its position in the championship.
The second half of the season will be crucial for Alpine. The team needs to score points and close the gap to Racing Bulls and Audi, who have shown great potential in recent races.
Colapinto's penalty and the doubts about the upgrades are two fronts that Alpine must resolve quickly, the French team cannot afford more mistakes if it wants to maintain its position in the championship. The pressure is increasing, and every race will be a final. Monza will be the first test of this new stage.
Briatore has demonstrated his ability to lead the team in difficult times. The Italian trusts that Alpine can take a step forward and fight for fifth place in the constructors' championship. Colapinto's penalty was a hard blow, but the team trusts it can recover in the upcoming races. Monza will be the first opportunity to prove that the team has learned from Zandvoort's mistakes.
