Gasly battles to sixth as Alpine secures valuable points in China

While **Kimi Antonelli ** claimed victory at the front and the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc lit up the fight for the final podium place, a fierce and strategically complex contest unfolded deeper in the pack — one that ultimately delivered a crucial result for Alpine.

A five-way fight for fifth

Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon found themselves on an alternate approach, soon joined by their respective teammates Pierre Gasly and Oliver Bearman, as well as Max Verstappen. The presence of the four-time world champion only intensified an already tightly packed contest.

Gasly: solid points, but a sense of what might have been

Despite the strong finish, Gasly’s reaction was layered — satisfied, yet aware of missed potential.

"On one hand, I am very happy for all these points," Gasly told Canal+. "We really had a solid weekend, right from sprint qualifying. Starting from seventh, I got a very good start. We were really comfortable at the beginning. Then the safety car put us in a difficult position."

The Frenchman underlined the underlying pace of the Alpine package.

"Our race pace was really good. It was complicated in the middle of the race with the cars around us. I lost a lot of time. Max and Bearman pulled away, and then at the end of the race I was giving it 3000%. I managed to come back and it wasn't far off from catching Bearman. I would have preferred to take that fifth place. I think we had it. There are still one or two small things to sort out."

The decisive moment came at the restart.

"For the restart under the safety car, I had no energy left," he added. "That's why Bearman overtook me, signaling as soon as we crossed the finish line. In any case, sixth place is a good start."

A familiar duel with Verstappen

Gasly also renewed on-track hostilities with former Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen — a duel he anticipated would be uncompromising.

"It was tough, which is what I expected with Max. I'll watch the footage again, but that's racing. After that, I had him in my sights. It's definitely satisfying when you catch up to Max. I think it would have been pretty fun to keep the battle going."

Although the fight was cut short by Verstappen’s retirement, the episode added another layer of intensity to Gasly’s race.

Encouraging signs for Alpine

Alpine leaves China with tangible progress. Gasly’s eight points are complemented by Franco Colapinto’s first points for the Enstone-based team, marking a positive step forward.

On a weekend defined by emerging talent at the front and high-profile battles throughout the field, Alpine’s double score — forged in one of the race’s most competitive scraps — stands as a quietly significant outcome.