Pierre Gasly’s running was cut short by a technical issue that triggered a red flag, compounding Alpine’s frustrating start to pre-season testing.
Another Interruption Hampers Alpine’s Running
Alpine’s programme at the Bahrain International Circuit suffered another blow on the second day of testing when Pierre Gasly slowed dramatically on approach to Turn 1.
The Frenchman steered his car off the racing line and stopped in a secure area near the pit exit, prompting officials to suspend the session.
Marshals were able to recover the stricken machine swiftly, limiting the delay and allowing cars to return to the track soon after.
Uncertainty Around Reliability
While the exact cause of Gasly’s stoppage has not been confirmed, Alpine’s early Bahrain testing has been blighted by reliability issues as the team works to understand and develop its new 2026 package.
Colapinto’s earlier halt on day one also required recovery and intervention from the team, eating into valuable track time that Alpine would have hoped to use for setup and data gathering.
Day 1 concluded with the team racking up 77 laps, the third least by any team throughout the opening morning.
With Gasly behind the wheel the French-based team would have hoped for smoother running with just weeks before the season opener in Melbourne.
Feature image courtesy of Formula 1
Further reporting conducted by Megan Wood