Pierre Gasly wary that Alpine F1 Team improvement will not come overnight

The Hungaroring hosts Round 11. It also carries special significance for Alpine, which claimed its first Formula 1 victory there with Esteban Ocon in a dramatic wet-dry race in 2021.

Five years later, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto face a demanding weekend on a tight circuit often compared to a go-kart track. Its relentless corners and short straights contrast sharply with Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, making rhythm and precise execution essential.

Gasly missed out on points at Spa and admitted Alpine’s rivals have made life increasingly difficult around the top ten: “After a few days rest following Spa, I am ready to take on the Hungaroring this weekend as we aim to go into the break with some positivity.

"In recent weeks, it has been a lot more challenging for us with some of our rivals making our life much harder in and around the top ten both in Qualifying and on race day. We know what we have to do to improve but we have to accept it's not an overnight fix.

"There are a few things we know we can do better so that will be the focus this weekend; executing some small details and trying to maximise our end result. The Hungaroring brings a very different challenge to that of Spa or Silverstone, the last two races we have had.

"It's much more technical, different conditions and it will be interesting to see what it's like in this current generation of car. I was disappointed not to score in Spa, so I go to Budapest hungry and motivated for a good team result," added Gasly.

Colapinto arrives encouraged after scoring at Spa, where Alpine appeared stronger relative to its immediate rivals: “I was very happy to score a point on Sunday in Spa after a long race battling with Pierre and Liam [Lawson], which brought a lot of action.

"We looked to be a bit stronger relative to our opponents in Belgium than previously and will aim to continue that form into Budapest this weekend even though the circuit is a completely different challenge.

“The track is one I've had some success at in my junior career and I'm looking forward to returning and experiencing it in this year's cars. The energy management will be more normal relative to the last two events with so many corners.

"Hopefully we will be able to have a lot of fun with the lighter cars we have this year. We will be pushing hard all weekend to bring home a good result and score more points before we head into the summer break," added the Argentinian.

Reserve driver Paul Aron will replace Colapinto in opening practice, completing Alpine’s first mandatory young driver session: “I'm looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the A526 for my first Free Practice 1 with the team this season. I have driven the car in our simulator back in Enstone all year and it will be very valuable to get on track and get a feel myself for the real thing."

After the Grand Prix on Sunday, Colapinto will remain in Hungary for a Pirelli tyre test after the race. The Formula 1 summer break follows.