Gasly Criticizes Alpine Communication After Qualifying Incident with Colapinto
Pierre Gasly claims poor team coordination hindered his final lap during rainy São Paulo qualifying.
1Qualifying Session Challenges
The São Paulo Grand Prix qualifying session was heavily impacted by extreme rain, forcing drivers to use full wet tires. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto struggled significantly with their Alpine A526 vehicles throughout the Q1 session. Both drivers finished at the bottom of the timesheets, failing to demonstrate competitive pace under wet conditions.
2Gasly's Communication Complaint
Pierre Gasly expressed frustration regarding a lack of team communication during his final flying lap. He claimed that being stuck behind his teammate, Franco Colapinto, cost him approximately two and a half tenths of a second. Gasly believes the team should have managed the track positioning better to avoid this interference during the session.
3Colapinto's Perspective on Incident
Franco Colapinto defended his position, noting that visibility was severely limited due to the heavy spray on the track. The Argentine driver explained that his tires were already overheating, making it difficult to maintain control. He stated that he only realized Gasly was behind him after he had already completed his own lap.
4Technical Failures in Rain
Beyond the communication issue, Gasly highlighted fundamental problems with the car's performance in the rain. He reported excessive wheel spin during gear changes and a complete lack of traction when exiting corners. These mechanical struggles prevented the team from finding the necessary grip to compete with rivals during the wet Q1 session.
5Alpine's Performance Analysis
Alpine team leadership, including Steve Nielsen, acknowledged the day was highly disappointing for the squad. Despite having a favorable track position as one of the last cars to cross the finish line, the team lacked pace. They are now working to understand why the car was significantly slower than the rest of the field.
6Impact of Track Conditions
The track conditions evolved rapidly, with times improving significantly as the session progressed. Colapinto managed to drop his lap time from 1:45.629 down to 1:33.327 throughout his runs. However, despite these improvements, both Alpine drivers remained far off the pace required to advance into the second qualifying segment, Q2, on the day.
7Grid Penalties and Changes
The final starting grid for the race became atypical due to a combination of poor performance and various penalties issued to other drivers. Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Sergio Pérez all received sanctions. These adjustments moved Gasly and Colapinto to 15th and 16th positions respectively for the upcoming race.
8Looking Toward the Race
With more rain forecasted for the race day, Alpine faces a significant challenge to improve their car's setup. The team is currently analyzing data to provide their drivers with better tools for the race. Both Gasly and the team management remain focused on finding solutions to recover positions from the back of the grid.