Alpine’s Rocky Start to the 2025 F1 Season
Alpine has had a bit of a bumpy road since the beginning of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
The team, which managed to secure a surprising sixth place in the Constructors Championship last year, now finds itself at the bottom of the standings, reminiscent of their rocky start in 2024. They lingered in ninth for much of the last season until Pierre Guthrie and Esteban Ocon’s unexpected performances at Saint Paulologpurpuri brought them into the mix.
Currently, the team is on its third driver of the season. Following the Miami Grand Prix, Franco Cora Pinto stepped in for Jack Doohan, taking the role of the second team principal. Oliver Oaks also left after Miami, leaving Flavio Blytore, the senior advisor, to take on principal duties.
Alpine is departing from Montreal after a challenging Canadian Grand Prix, hoping to improve their performance at Stilian Hills this weekend.
“We know there’s work to do after that disappointing race in Canada, especially since our rivals managed to score points again,” Guthrie mentioned in a media preview for the Austrian Grand Prix. “I think our qualifying didn’t do us any favors, as track position has become crucial. The car showed some potential, but we didn’t quite get it right with the new soft tires on Saturday.”
Guthrie recently spent time at the team’s Enstone factory, prepping for races from Austria to Silverstone in the upcoming doubleheader.
“I headed to the factory with the team to get ready for Austria and Silverstone, and Spielberg has the shortest lap of the season, which tends to make things intense,” Guthrie explained. “There are numerous high-speed corners and tough braking zones. Despite having only ten corners, it’s a tricky lap. We’re looking to amp up our pace and have a solid weekend.”
Meanwhile, Colapinto is looking forward to driving the A525, despite a tough outing in Montreal. He noted that the Red Bull Ring has been kind to him in the past, especially when he landed on the podium in last season’s Formula 2 feature race.
“The Canadian weekend didn’t yield the results I wanted, but I made solid progress with each session, showing that the car has potential,” Colapinto remarked. “We need to keep pushing and make sure we stay on an upward trajectory leading into Austria this weekend.”
“This is a familiar track for us from our junior series, and I scored a podium last year in Formula 2. It’s a true driver’s circuit where you need everything to flow smoothly, given the short lap time.”
Colapinto is feeling a bit of pressure as he prepares for this weekend. After taking over the seat post-Miami Grand Prix, this will be his fifth race with the A525.
Even though the Canadian Grand Prix wasn’t easy on Alpine, both drivers shared that the following days offered a “surreal” experience. Gasly and Colapinto traveled to New York City for the premiere of the film F1: Movie.
“Going to New York for the premiere of F1: Movie was pretty amazing and surreal. I’m really impressed with how Formula One captured everything,” Guthrie shared. “Walking the ‘red’ carpet with Brad Pitt was unreal—a moment I’ll always remember.”
Colapinto added, “We managed to build a stopover in New York for F1: Movie. Meeting Brad Pitt on the red carpet at Times Square was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I won’t forget anytime soon. I’m really excited for everyone to see this film this weekend.”
However, there’s no forgetting that points are the ultimate goal.
