Overview
- Alpine brought a revised aerodynamic package to the Red Bull Ring this weekend that included a new front wing aimed at fixing the A526’s poor balance in fast corners.
- Colapinto began strongly in FP1 but went off into the gravel in FP2, aborted a lap and told engineers the new wing “did not work as expected,” which left him frustrated.
- The team ran direct comparisons by fitting the new front wing to Pierre Gasly to isolate the component’s effects and gather setup data for both cars.
- Colapinto recovered modestly to 14th in FP3 but was eliminated in Q2 and will start the Austrian Grand Prix 16th on the grid.
- Very high track temperatures forced the FIA heat protocol and complicated Alpine’s work this weekend, raising pressure to find a usable setup before Sunday and to preserve Colapinto’s positive early‑season momentum.