Pierre Gasly finished 11th at the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, failing to score points. Max Verstappen secured victory for Red Bull, with Charles Leclerc taking second for Ferrari. Kimi Antonelli completed the podium for Mercedes.
Gasly had qualified eighth, but a 60-place grid penalty for George Russell promoted him to seventh on the starting grid. Russell’s penalty stemmed from multiple power unit component changes after a failure in Sepang.
The Alpine driver immediately lost positions at the start of the race. He fell behind Liam Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg, citing a lack of power off the line.
“We had no power out of the line. We need to review, because this year we’ve had really good starts.”
Gasly reported significant issues with the Alpine A526 car’s race pace and tyre degradation. The car struggled particularly on the Marina Bay circuit’s low-speed, high-traction corners.
The Frenchman explained that the tyres overheated rapidly, losing traction after only a few laps. This limitation of the A526 has been a recurring issue for Alpine in the 2026 season.
Drivers across the Formula 1 grid have voiced concerns over the high minimum tyre pressures mandated by Pirelli for 2026. These pressures contribute to reduced grip and increased tyre degradation.
Despite starting seventh, Gasly was unable to defend his position. He was eventually overtaken by Russell, who started 19th, and Isack Hadjar, who began the race from the pit lane.
Russell’s recovery to ninth place was notable, given his substantial 60-place grid penalty. This penalty was incurred for exceeding his allocation of internal combustion engines, turbochargers, exhaust sets, MGU-K, energy store, and control electronics.
Hadjar, driving for Red Bull Racing, also started from the pit lane due to power unit and suspension changes. He finished tenth, securing a point ahead of Gasly.
Gasly’s teammate, Franco Colapinto, retired from the Singapore Grand Prix with a suspected mechanical failure. This marked another reliability concern for Alpine.
Alpine’s A526, powered by a Mercedes unit, has demonstrated strong single-lap qualifying pace this season, including a pole position for Gasly at Monza.
However, the team has consistently struggled to convert these qualifying performances into points finishes due to race pace and tyre management issues.
Following the Singapore Grand Prix, Alpine remains sixth in the Constructors’ Championship with 68 points. They are now 32 points behind Racing Bulls, who hold fifth position with 100 points.
The team acknowledges the need to address the A526’s limitations, particularly its rear-end stability and tyre thermal management, for the remaining races of the 2026 season.
