Alpine F1’s Gamble Backfires as Gasly and Doohan Fall Short

Alpine F1 showed promise in Melbourne, but late rain shuffled the pack, leaving Gasly fighting hard and Doohan out in heartbreak.

Pierre Gasly once again proved his skill in wet conditions, staying firmly in the points battle for most of the Australian Grand Prix with Alpine F1.

However, a late downpour turned the race upside down, shaking up strategies, tire choices, and luck. The French driver ultimately dropped out of the top ten but fought hard against the Ferraris and local hero Oscar Piastri in the closing laps.

“It’s frustrating to leave empty-handed after such a challenging race in tough conditions. It was a lottery, and we managed things well, staying in the fight for most of the race. The final rain shower changed everything—some gained from an early stop, while others, like us, gambled by staying out a lap or two longer. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn’t. But I’m happy with our competitiveness; we showed strong pace, and I feel confident heading into China. We’ll focus on the positives and keep pushing as a team. The lack of grip today made it tricky for even the most experienced drivers. Jack did a fantastic job all weekend—he was thrown into the deep end with the weather, and I know we’re both determined to come back stronger next weekend and fight for points again.”

For Jack Doohan, it was a heartbreaking end to his home race. Like Isack Hadjar and Carlos Sainz, the Australian fell victim to the treacherous early conditions. On a slippery Melbourne track, he spun on a straight and severely damaged his Alpine A525—an unfortunate blow in front of his home crowd.

*”This weekend had a lot of positives, but it’s disappointing to finish this way. It was a mix of factors that we’ll analyze to learn from and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Learning the hard way isn’t easy, but I’ve taken time to process what happened and shift my focus forward. The positives outweigh the result—we had strong pace all week, which gives us confidence for the next races. Yesterday, we were solid, but caught out by the yellow flag. Now, with Shanghai coming up, we’re resetting and aiming to bounce back even stronger.

Overall, it was an incredible weekend. The fans were amazing, the atmosphere was electric, and driving in front of my home crowd to kick off my first season was truly special.”*

Alpine F1 leaves Australia with mixed emotions—encouraging pace, but no points to show for it. Now, all eyes are on China as the team looks to turn promise into results.