Alpine secured their first double Q3 appearance this season: "We have the 5th fastest car in Miami"

At Miami, Alpine established itself as the true fifth force on the grid, reaching Q3 alongside the top contenders. After placing both its A526s in the top 10 during the Sprint race earlier in the day and securing a point thanks to Pierre Gasly, the stable ofenstone repeated the feat during the qualifying session. For the first time this season, Flavio Briatore's men secured two places in the final timed phase.

« It is satisfying to confirm once again that we have the fifth fastest car here in Miami, as both our drivers finished in the top 10 in both the Sprint and Qualifying. Steve Nielsen, sporting director of the A-listed team, is delighted, according to the official website. Our clear objective is to score points with both cars tomorrow, given our qualifying results with Franco eighth and Pierre tenth."

Colapinto's first Q3 since 2024

The sensation of the day came from Franco Colapinto. For the first time since the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when he was driving for WilliamsThe Argentinian driver rediscovered the joys of Q3. Franco deserves congratulations for his continued performance in qualifying.his boss insists. I'm sure he'll be hungry for a much better result in tomorrow's race, given how today's Sprint unfolded and the fact that only the top eight score points."

Even more convincingly, he had the luxury of getting ahead of the Red Bull d'Isack Hadjar, ninth on the grid. I'm very happy and proud of the team, who put in an incredible effort. I think that giving them back, offering them a Q3 spot after yesterday, after their work over the winter to design a fast car for us, is a great way to thank them at Enstone. slips Colapinto to the microphone of the F1. We are competitive. We are ahead of a Red Bull. Everything has been very positive so far. The mechanics and engineers have worked hard to reverse the trend compared to Suzuka."

However, the challenge was significant for the young driver, who was discovering the Florida track, having only replaced Doohan after the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. I'm personally very proud and happy. It's difficult because I didn't know the circuit. It's the last race I didn't know. It's also a Sprint weekend. I'm figuring things out as I go. Overall, it's been a positive weekend for the team and for me, and I'm happy to be back in Q3."

A Alpine Pierre Gasly is not very cooperative

At the other end of the garage, the feeling is more mixed. While Pierre Gasly has secured tenth place on the starting grid, the Frenchman doesn't hide his frustration with his car's performance. Alpine since the start of the weekend.

« I'm not going to be disappointed with a top 10 in Sprint and making it into Q3, but something's been wrong with the car since the first lap. I immediately felt there was a traction issue, and we don't understand the cause."It's regrettable," he lamented to F1 microphones. At the same time, we're fighting for ninth and tenth positions. I was still hoping we'd be able to find some solutions.. Especially in qualifying, I'd been very comfortable in this car since the start of the season, but this weekend qualifying was very poor. The feeling is very different than usual. We're still competitive compared to the midfield, but I think there's more to be extracted, and I just couldn't find it."

A view shared by Steve Nielsen, who admits that his driver is not yet in " osmosis "with his mount."We know something isn't right, because we know Pierre's performance level in qualifying since the start of the season."

However, all is not lost for the Frenchman. Despite an early start at 19:00 PM (Paris time), the Florida weather remains a major unknown. This threat of rain, ready to spoil the party, gives Pierre Gasly renewed hope for the race. I still have hope for tomorrow. Anything can happen in the conditions ahead. In dry conditions, it will likely be another isolated race. In the rain, opportunities could open up for us. he hopesWe'll see what happens, but we'll do everything we can to bring back as many points as possible. »

If the Florida storms disrupt the Sunday hierarchy, Alpine seems ideally placed to come out on top and cement its position as the fifth force behind the big guns.

ALSO READ > Miami GP – Qualifying: Kimi Antonelli secures his third consecutive pole position