The French team waited for a Safety Car that never came and ruined Gasly's race, who finished twelfth. Colapinto seventh and in the points, was hurt by the lack of collaboration in the final laps at Madring.
The Spanish Grand Prix left a controversial image in the Alpine garage. Pierre Gasly, who had bet on a risky strategy, was forced to pit on the last lap to comply with the mandatory stop, which made him lose any chance of scoring points, the Frenchman finished twelfth, while his teammate Franco Colapinto, who did manage to score with a seventh place, did not hide his frustration over the radio at Gasly's lack of collaboration in the final stages.
The French team explained hours later, through its social media, the reasons for a decision they described as a failed bet: "Races don't always go the way we would like, for Pierre Gasly that was the case today, we were waiting for a safety car that never came and unfortunately, the bet didn't pay off. On to Baku!" Alpine posted in a message that summarized the team's disappointment.
Gasly's strategy was understandable in theory, extending his stint on the hard tires and waiting for a neutralization that would allow him to make his stop without losing too much time. However the Safety Car never appeared, the race unfolded without serious incidents that would justify a yellow or red flag, and Gasly was forced to comply with the regulations on the last lap, losing all the positions he had gained through effort.
The problem was not only for Gasly, his decision not to yield to Colapinto on the last lap complicated his teammate's race. The Argentine, who was running seventh and under pressure from Lando Norris, found that Gasly, just ahead of him, did not let him through. This allowed Norris's McLaren to close to less than a second, putting at risk the valuable points that Colapinto had practically secured.
The tension on Colapinto's radio was evident. The Argentine driver, aware that Gasly could not gain any benefit by staying ahead, expressed his fury at the lack of teamwork, despite the situation, Colapinto managed to hold on to seventh position and score six points for Alpine, a result that tastes like glory after several complicated races.
The contrast between the two Alpine drivers in Madrid was notable, while Colapinto celebrated his best result of the season, Gasly was left with the frustration of a strategy that did not work. The difference in approach between the two drivers was also evident, the Argentine focused on maximizing the team's opportunities, the Frenchman, trapped in a personal bet that did not pay off.
Alpine now faces a period of reflection before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the team needs to find a balance between strategic ambition and internal collaboration. The situation in Madrid has left a clear lesson, in Formula 1 individual decisions can have collective consequences and the success of a team depends on the ability of its drivers to work in the same direction.
The Baku race will be an opportunity to demonstrate that Alpine has learned from its mistakes and that team unity is above risky strategies.
