A restart failure at the Baku Circuit forced Alpine to abandon 13 championship points, felling the team’s entire midfield trio from the running.
Restart chaos costs Alpine 13 points
When the safety‑car period ended after Alexander Albon’s crash, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and teammate Franco Colapinto were positioned seventh and tenth. A sudden lock‑up by Colapinto on the inside curb triggered a chain reaction, sending his car into Gasly, and the pair into Lando Norris’s McLaren. All three drivers retired, sparking a 13‑point swing that left Alpine fifteen points behind the fifth‑placed constructor.
Drivers involved and race consequences
Gasly’s mid‑field lead vanishes
Gasly had been steering the midfield, staying within one second of Lewis Hamilton and trailing Norris by three. By lap 30 he was six seconds behind the green‑flag leader, but the restart collapse erased any advantage. The incident saw the rival Racing Bulls collide as well; however, Arvid Lindblad was cleared of fault and managed to finish the race in seventh place.
Alfred at Alpine’s higher ambition
Despite the loss, Alpine’s manager believed the A526 was the most competitive race car of the year. “The car is fighting. The pace matches the likes of Lewis and Norris,” he said, noting that “if the team can produce the points it deserves, that’s what matters.” Yet the crash forced an immediate reevaluation of starting grid strategy for future races.
Post‑race reactions and outlook
Gasly voiced frustration at how far he was out of the race, commenting on the missing points yesterday. “The sprint felt strong; the car felt good,” he admitted, while also accepting the team‑mate’s apology for the incident. He refrained from blaming Mercedes’ George Russell, citing power‑unit restrictions that leave drivers limited during restarts.
Looking ahead, Gasly hopes a night’s rest will help him reset for Malaysia, the next championship round. An earlier season exit had driven clarity, and the team plans to apply lessons from Baku wherever possible.
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