Alpine F1 Team seek Barcelona reset after Monaco Grand Prix disappointment

The Formula 1 paddock moves from Monaco to Barcelona for the second leg of a European double-header, with teams returning to a circuit they know well after pre-season running earlier this year.

Barcelona's Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is regarded as one of the most complete tests of a Formula 1 car, combining slow, medium and high-speed corners that place a premium on balance, aerodynamic efficiency and tyre management.

Gasly remains focused on the future despite the disappointment of Monaco, where Alpine believed it had put itself in position for a significant result before post-race penalties and ongoing review proceedings overshadowed the weekend.

"I left Monaco with a lot of difficult emotions after what happened in the race," Gasly recalled. "It is a difficult one to take and certainly something I will reflect on in the future as one of those 'what could have been' moments in my career.

"I am really proud of how we performed in Monaco. It was not an easy weekend where we had to really work hard to make the most of the package, and that resulted in reaching Q3 and beating some of our close rivals who were very competitive in Monaco."

The Frenchman highlighted overtakes on McLaren and Red Bull rivals during the race and said the team had earned the opportunity for a major points haul before circumstances intervened: "As we know, that reward never came, and I know the team is fighting hard behind the scenes for the right of review."

Team mate Franco Colapinto also endured a frustrating Monaco weekend, finishing outside the points after becoming trapped in traffic: "The race in Monaco was challenging for us, and it was, in general, a difficult weekend for me.

"We were unable to make progress during the race and were stuck in a train of cars outside the points. There were opportunities this weekend, but we couldn't capitalise, and as a team it is important to understand what we could have done better," the Argentine said.

Colapinto believes Barcelona will offer a clearer benchmark for Alpine's progress: "For the first time this year, we are racing at a track where we have a lot of knowledge with the A526 because of the tests we did back in January," he said.

"The cars have developed so much since then, and we obviously know a lot more about this year's regulations, so it will be very interesting to get on track on Friday and see the improvements we've made in a short period of time."

For Alpine, the focus remains on converting promise into points as the team looks to continue its scoring run at a circuit that should provide one of the clearest indicators yet of its development trajectory since the start of the season.