It was ultimately a mixed Saturday for Alpine during the Austrian Grand Prix. After a Sprint race where the two A524s found themselves at the gates of the top 10, qualifying counting for Sunday saw only one of the two French single-seaters reach the first part of the table. This is that of Esteban Ocon. In a very tight peloton, Pierre Gasly remained stuck in Q2, with the thirteenth fastest time.
We quickly get used to good habits because the general feeling this Saturday is disappointment. We certainly would not have imagined writing this sentence a month ago to describe the accession of one of the Alpines to Q3, especially in a fair manner. However, after a good Spanish Grand Prix and a satisfactory Friday, we hoped to see both cars in this top 10. That was without counting on Haas, much more in shape today.
The American structure has already given a serious response in the Sprint Race with Kevin Magnussen ninth ahead of Esteban Ocon tenth. In qualifying, it’s a similar scenario but with Nico Hülkenberg as the main actor, facing our Norman. The same order between the two men whether in Q2 or Q3. The first city was also incredibly close, since Pierre Gasly, thirteenth, is only a tenth behind the German’s car.
If the Alpine are falling back compared to the Sprint qualification, they nevertheless remain well positioned to play for points this Sunday. We will have to find a little rhythm, but this morning’s performance was partly conditioned by worn tires for Esteban Ocon, and an overheating engine for Pierre Gasly – from following his competitors. The potential is therefore still present to do better.
Seriously dreaming of scoring new points is, however, truly satisfying in light of Alpine’s start to the season. The competition in this peloton is extremely tough, with minimal gaps. The execution – and in particular the pit stops – will have to be excellent to stand out from the game and seek out the few units left vacant by the leading quartet. Response at 3:00 p.m. (French time) with the start of this Austrian Grand Prix.
| Pos. | Pilot | Team | Time Q1 | Q2 Time | Time Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M. Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:05.336 | 1:04.469 | 1:04.314 |
| 2 | L. Norris | Mclaren | 1:05.450 | 1:05.103 | 1:04.718 |
| 3 | G. Russell | Mercedes | 1:05.585 | 1:05.016 | 1:04.840 |
| 4 | C. Sainz | Ferrari | 1:05.263 | 1:05.016 | 1:04.851 |
| 5 | L. Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:05.541 | 1:05.053 | 1:04.903 |
| 6 | C. Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:05.509 | 1:05.104 | 1:05.044 |
| 7 | O. Plates | Mclaren | 1:05.311 | 1:05.070 | 1:05.048 |
| 8 | S. Perez | Red Bull Racing | 1:05.587 | 1:05.144 | 1:05.202 |
| 9 | N. Hülkenberg | Haas F1 Team | 1:05.596 | 1:05.262 | 1:05.385 |
| 10 | E.Ocon | Alpine | 1:05.574 | 1:05.274 | 1:05.883 |
| 11 | D.Ricciardo | RB | 1:05.569 | 1:05.289 | |
| 12 | K. Magnussen | Haas F1 Team | 1:05.508 | 1:05.347 | |
| 13 | P. Gasly | Alpine | 1:05.598 | 1:05.359 | |
| 14 | Y. Tsunoda | RB | 1:05.563 | 1:05.412 | |
| 15 | F. Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:05.656 | 1:05.639 | |
| 16 | A. Albon | Williams | 1:05.736 | ||
| 17 | L. Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:05.819 | ||
| 18 | V. Bottas | Kick Sauber | 1:05.847 | ||
| 19 | L. Sargeant | Williams | 1:05.856 | ||
| 20 | G. Zhou | Kick Sauber | 1:06.061 |
