Alpine rolled out a targeted upgrade at Zandvoort aimed at clawing back time lost to Racing Bulls in the tight midfield battle for fifth in the constructors’ championship. The package, designed to deliver two or three tenths of a second per lap, was fitted to only one car—Pierre Gasly’s—due to limited parts. Over the weekend, Gasly consistently held a margin of roughly two-tenths over Franco Colapinto’s un-upgraded car, aligning with Alpine’s expectations.
The upgrade centered on a revised sidepod profile and cooling layout, repositioned radiator intakes, and reworked bargeboards and floor edges. These changes improved airflow management around the rear tires and diffuser, a critical area for downforce generation. The front wing and other components appeared optimized for the new sidepod concept rather than introducing radical new features.
Gary Anderson notes the package brings Alpine closer to rivals but stops short of leapfrogging Racing Bulls. The bigger challenge remains budget-cap constraints, making every development cycle a trade-off between parts and performance. Alpine will need to refine the upgrade for both cars and prove its consistency over the coming races.
