Alpine made a confident start to the Saudi Arabian GP weekend, with Gasly topping the timesheets in FP1 and finishing 8th in FP2. Teammate Jack Doohan showed steady progress throughout Friday’s sessions as both drivers look to build towards a competitive qualifying.
Gasly set the pace in the opening session with a 1:29.239, narrowly edging out Norris by just 0.007s.
“I had a great feel with the car straight away from FP1. It felt like I had the package to really push on this track, which is very high speed and quite tricky, but the car was there straight from the start.”
Cooler Conditions Challenge Both Drivers in FP2
FP2 saw both drivers return to the track under cooler evening conditions. Doohan placed 16th as he continued working to find confidence on the soft compound, while Gasly ended the session in 8th after a slightly more challenging run compared to his strong start earlier in the day.
“A couple of things with switches and I think generally on brakes I’ve been struggling a little bit today. Normal stuff, we try to improve session after session, but I’m sure it’s going to be fixed for tomorrow.”
Even with a few setbacks, Gasly remains focused on the bigger picture and encouraged by the car’s overall potential.
“I think Q3 is on the table, it’s very tight. Sainz put on a strong lap tonight. Williams are looking strong, Albon was fast in FP1.”
“We know they’re quite efficient on this low drag type of track, so I think clearly they’re going to be in the mix, but hopefully we can be with them.”
Doohan Finds Pace on Mediums, Still Searching on Softs
Doohan finished FP1 in 16th with a 1:30.183, just 0.944s behind Gasly, and placed 17th in FP2 after struggling to get the most out of the soft tyre. He looked more comfortable on the medium compound and is focused on improving his performance on the softs. Although Doohan struggled to maximise the soft compound, Alpine’s Saudi Arabian GP performance remained solid, with the team gathering valuable data for qualifying.
“The medium isn’t so bad, I’m still not as comfortable as I’d like to be. On the soft, we’re just not seeming to click at the moment today, so not really able to take a step forward and just not feeling so comfy.”
Despite the challenges, Doohan believes there’s still strong potential if he can find the right balance ahead of qualifying.
“If I can be where I am on the mediums, on the softs I think we can still be potentially pushing for Q3 and in the top places between P7 to P10. I just need to get comfy on that soft tyre and make sure that I’m able to maximise it.”
Final Preparations for Alpine Before Saturday Night Qualifying
Alpine return to the track for FP3 ahead of Saturday night’s qualifying session at the Saudi Arabian GP, looking to refine their setup and build on the promising pace shown throughout Friday. The Alpine Saudi Arabian GP campaign has shown positive signs so far, with Gasly consistently near the front and Doohan making steady progress. The team will be aiming to carry that momentum into a strong qualifying performance under the lights in Jeddah.
