ALPINE CONTINUES QUEST TO FIX PIERRE GASLY'S MYSTIFYING CAR ISSUES

Pierre Gasly’s eighth-place finish in Canada didn't signal a full recovery for his Alpine. The Frenchman is still battling "mystifying car issues," primarily a puzzling loss of one-lap pace and low-speed traction that began in Miami with the team's latest upgrades. Gasly has since been consistently outqualified by teammate Franco Colapinto, who seems to be thriving with the same developments.

Alpine has aggressively pursued a fix, even taking Gasly's car out of parc fermé in Canada for setup changes and experimenting with an older floor. Data confirms Gasly's feeling that his car's behavior has fundamentally shifted, making it difficult to push to the limit. Managing Director Steve Nielsen acknowledged Gasly lacked downforce compared to Colapinto. The team's immediate analysis couldn't pinpoint a single component or setup flaw. The A526 now heads back to the factory for a deeper investigation. Alpine needs to restore Gasly's confidence and traction potential quickly to build on recent points finishes.