Better times coming for Alpine

©Alpine Media

A top three sprint finish for Pierre Gasly and an impressive trip to Spa for Alpines driver academy.
 
Alpine ended their weekend in Spa and the first half of season in slightly better spirits than the previous two weekends, with both drivers collecting points. Gasly moved up the grid during Saturdays sprint racing from 6th to 3rd, picking up six points. However, his Sunday didn’t go to plan as he just missed out on being in the top 10, finishing 11th on the grid. The French driver was unfortunately stuck behind a damaged McLaren of Oscar Piastri after a collision in turn one. Estaban Ocon managed to secure points on both days, finishing the sprint in ninth and gaining seven places on the Sunday, finishing eight on the grid.

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©Alpine Media

These much-needed points come after both cars not finishing in Silverstone and Hungary. After Piastri’s recent success in his McLaren, Gasly is now sitting 12th in the drivers standing and Ocon hanging on to the top 10, in tenth, only one point a head of the rookie.  ​

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Bruno Famin ©Alpine Media

​Announcements
 
Alpine go into the summer break parting ways with Team Principle Otmar Szafnauer, Sporting Director Alan Permane and Pat Fry their Chief Techinal Officer, Fry will be joining Williams. Bruno Famin announced as Alpine’s interim Team Principal, Julian Rouse as Interim Sporting director and Matt Harman in Enstone as Technical Officer.
 
Bruno Famin has told Formula one media “there is no hurry” to decide who will be the new Team Principal.  

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Jack Doohan ©Alpine Media

​Alpine Driver Academy
 
Jack Doohan finished his weekend with back-to-back feature race wins in Formula 2. Doohan won his first race of the season, in Hungary, following it up back on the top step of the podium in Spa. The aussie pulled out an impressive drive, capitalising on his competitors’ misfortunes and his alternative strategy, starting in 11th to win the Belgium Grand Prix. His fellow Alpine academy driver Victor Martins started Alpines winning streak in Formula 2 three weeks prior, with him winning Silverstone’s feature race. However, his luck wasn’t as good as Doohans this weekend, Martin narrowly missed out on the podium both days. Finishing the sprint in fourth and the feature race in fifth.
 
Lower down the series Alpines formula 3 driver Sophia Floersch became the talk of the paddock in Spa after collecting her first points, finishing seventh from 24th. Floersh not only picked up her first points in the series but the first points for a woman in Formula 3.

Bronwen Jones
​Writer @F1 Journal

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