Alpine F1 faces a weekend to forget in Shanghai, with Gasly disqualified and Doohan penalised after a tough, point-less Grand Prix.
It was a frustrating weekend in Shanghai for Alpine F1, as both Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan walked away without points – and with plenty to reflect on.
Gasly crossed the line in 11th place at the Chinese Grand Prix, narrowly missing out on the top ten. But things got worse post-race: he was disqualified after his car was found to be 1 kilogram under the minimum weight.
Still, Gasly saw signs of progress after a challenging Friday and Saturday.
“It was a tricky race, and finishing just outside the points – again in P11 – shows some improvement compared to the start of the weekend,” Gasly said. “Unfortunately, a technical non-compliance led to our disqualification, which is disappointing.”
He also noted that tire degradation was less of an issue than expected, allowing for a one-stop strategy that nearly paid off.
“We extended our second stint after an early stop and stayed out until the chequered flag. Overall, it’s been a tough weekend, and we weren’t as competitive as we hoped. We’ll be looking closely at these first two rounds to see what worked and what needs improvement.”
Despite the setbacks, Gasly remains optimistic.
“We’ve just missed out on points twice now. We know we can do better – and we will. Japan is next, and we’re determined to come back stronger.”
As for rookie Jack Doohan, the Australian started 18th and finished 16th on track – later classified 13th after several post-race disqualifications, including his own teammate’s. But his performance wasn’t without controversy.
Doohan received a 10-second penalty and two penalty points on his license for a dangerous on-track move, adding to the two he picked up on Saturday – bringing his total to four for the weekend.
“It was good to get a full race under my belt, and we learned a lot,” he said. “The pace was strong towards the end, and I had some great battles. Holding off Isack Hadjar’s Racing Bulls for over 20 laps was a nice moment, especially considering their speed all weekend.”
“The penalty is unfortunate, and we’ll review it to make sure it doesn’t happen again. But overall, we’ve made progress during practice and these first two races. There’s still a lot to improve, but we’re fully focused on Japan and aiming to bring home points.”
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Gasly Disqualified as Alpine Endures Shanghai Woes Gasly Disqualified as Alpine Endures Shanghai Woes
