Gasly urges Alpine to focus on the right target, close the gap to Red Bull
Summary
After a seventh‑place at Suzuka, Alpine driver Pierre Gasly says the team must stop aiming for midfield dominance and start chasing Red Bull and McLaren, as Alpine builds on an early‑season surge.
Pierre Gasly finished a gutsy seventh at the Japanese Grand Prix, beating Max Verstappen to the line, and used the post‑race press conference to lay out a bold vision: Alpine should stop contenting itself with midfield supremacy and start chasing the front‑running Red Bull and McLaren.
Why it matters:
- Alpine jumped from 10th with 22 points in 2025 to fifth after three races in 2026, thanks to the new Mercedes power unit and early development on the 2026 technical package.
- Closing the gap to Red Bull and McLaren would turn Alpine from a midfield contender into a regular podium challenger, reshaping the championship battle.
The details:
- Japanese GP: Gasly finished 7th, 0.337 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen after the safety‑car reset.
- Points haul: He has scored 15 of Alpine’s 16 points so far (6th in China, 7th in Japan), underlining his role as the team's point‑generator.
- Car & mindset: The A526, powered by Mercedes, shows solid top‑10 pace but varies by circuit. Gasly urges the team to “focus on the right target” – treating Red Bull and McLaren as the benchmark rather than settling for midfield supremacy.
What’s next:
Alpine will keep refining the A526’s aero‑power integration for the upcoming Australian and Bahrain rounds, aiming for consistent top‑10 finishes. If the team sustains its early momentum, it could become a permanent second‑or‑third‑place contender for the 2026 season.
Original Article :https://racingnews365.com/pierre-gasly-implores-alpine-to-focus-on-the-right-tar...