Gasly: Alpine Can Challenge McLaren, Ferrari & Red Bull in 2026
Shanghai, China – Pierre Gasly finished sixth in the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, a result he described as a significant step forward for the BWT Alpine Formula One Team, despite a late-race safety car intervention costing him a potential fifth-place finish.
The result, Alpine’s best since Gasly finished fifth at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, came after a strong qualifying performance where the Frenchman outqualified both Red Bull drivers, securing seventh on the grid. Gasly’s pace in Shanghai has fueled optimism that Alpine’s strategic shift towards the 2026 season, including a modern power unit partnership with Mercedes, is beginning to yield results.
“It’s definitely encouraging for the whole team to see that in some sessions we can be fourth-fastest,” Gasly said after the race. “Obviously, it’s very close behind, and the gap in front of us… they are not miles ahead, so we’ve just got to focus on our thing and keep bringing performance, and hopefully we can slowly join that pack ahead of us.”
Gasly’s performance in China appears to exceed initial expectations following pre-season testing. “I’m not going to lie, a bit better,” he admitted. He noted a puzzling dip in pace from Red Bull, with Max Verstappen qualifying well behind him. “Looking at the Red Bull I’m a bit confused with their pace, due to the fact that when you see them in the second row in Melbourne, they were basically taking it to the McLaren.”
The race wasn’t without its frustrations for Gasly. A safety car period, triggered by Lance Stroll’s retirement, disrupted his rhythm and ultimately cost him a position to Haas’ Oliver Bearman at the restart. “For some reason I didn’t have the power or boost,” Gasly explained, adding, “Deep inside me, the very competitive Pierre is a little annoyed not to get that P5.”
Despite the setback, Gasly emphasized the dramatic improvement Alpine has made compared to the 2025 season. “Looking at ‘25 where we were and where we are now, it’s a completely different league, so I’m very pleased,” he said. He highlighted that the team’s gains weren’t solely due to hardware upgrades, but also from subtle adjustments to the car’s setup. “We see we have some performance and we know we still have a lot of performance to find in a few areas with the current package we’ve got.”
Gasly currently sits seventh in the drivers’ championship, ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. He believes Alpine can continue to close the gap to the leading teams. “The target is just to hopefully create a bit of a gap with the guys behind and come knock at the heels of the guys in front and hopefully join the battle. Whether it will be achievable, I don’t know. But all I know is the guys are working really hard and there is more coming.”
Alpine’s decision to complete its engine programme and switch to Mercedes power units for 2026 was a significant strategic move. The team focused its development efforts on the 2026 car early last year, a gamble that appears to be paying dividends. Gasly’s strong performance in Shanghai suggests Alpine is on track to become a more competitive force in Formula One.