An Italian Grand Prix that feels like a home fixture
Pierre Gasly did not have far to travel. The Alpine driver lives in Milan, around 30 kilometres from the Monza circuit, and he was quick to remind reporters of that on Thursday, just hours before the Italian Grand Prix weekend got under way.
“Fair to say, it’s a home race of sorts,” he said. “It is always a brilliant feeling to wake up in your own bed before heading to the track and having your coffee at home.”
The connection with Monza goes beyond geography. This is where the Norman claimed his first Formula 1 win, back in September 2020, in that now iconic Grand Prix with AlphaTauri. Six years on, he remains one of the few French drivers to have won at the venue. And with Flavio Briatore now part of Alpine’s set-up, there is an extra Italian flavour to the weekend too.
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An Alpine revival sparked by the Zandvoort upgrades
The sporting picture has shifted in recent weeks. Alpine had been going backwards before the summer break, unable to trouble the points. The team rolled out a significant upgrade package on Gasly’s car in the Netherlands, and the effect was immediate: eighth in the Sprint, then 10th in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
The Sprint format did, though, limit how much mileage the team could get from the new parts. One practice session before qualifying is hardly ideal when you’re trying to get your head around a fresh package.
“It was a good step forward at Zandvoort. I think it was hard to get the maximum out of it because it was a Sprint weekend,” the Frenchman said. “Before the summer break, I felt we had dropped out of the top 10. And now we’re back in the mix.”
Monza, with its long straights and a standard weekend featuring three practice sessions, should give a much clearer read on the real gain.
Colapinto stays put, giving Alpine some stability for 2027
Gasly also gave his reaction to Franco Colapinto being confirmed at Alpine for the 2027 season. The French-Argentine pairing will now stay together for another year.
“I’m happy for Franco. The momentum is good, and I think he’s learned a lot over these last two years in Formula 1,” said the 30-year-old.
For a team that has chopped and changed its line-up plenty in recent seasons, that kind of continuity matters. The next job is turning those technical gains into points, and then plenty more of them.
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