Alpine has joined McLaren in using its second permitted Parc Ferme break at the Formula 1 Barcelona Catalunya Grand Prix, making a dramatic change to Pierre Gasly’s car.
Following their competitive showing in Monaco that yielded a podium for Gasly after a successful appeal, Friday in Barcelona saw a dramatic reversal of fortune.
The A526 looked sluggish in the hands of Gasly, featuring in the bottom half of the standings in both Free Practice sessions, the Frenchman lacking both pace and confidence.
This led to the team opting to make dramatic changes overnight on Friday, breaking curfew for the second time this season.
Alpine opted to prepare a new chassis for Gasly, hoping that this will transform his fortunes in final practice ahead of qualifying on Saturday afternoon.
A penalty free curfew break for Alpine
In a short statement, Alpine confirmed the change, which avoids a penalty being applied as it falls within allocation.
“The team broke curfew on Friday night for the second time (of four allowed without incurring a penalty) this season to prepare a new chassis from its existing pool for #Car 10 going into the remainder of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix weekend,” it read.
Using up two of its curfews before the midpoint of the season is not an ideal situation for Alpine, and it shares similarities with the use of its first in Canada.
Gasly qualified a lowly 19th for the Sprint Race, with Alpine choosing to make setup changes to the A526, in the hopes of improving Gasly’s chances.
Barcelona has seen the team attempt something far more radical, opting to ditch a chassis entirely in favour of a new one.
This is far from a simple task, and all eyes, including those of Alpine’s mechanics, will be on Gasly’s car in final practice to see if their gamble has paid off.
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