During the Free Practice 2 session at the 2026 Formula 1® Belgian Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly experienced a crash that brought out a red flag. The incident took place at the exit of Les Fagnes (Turn 14), where a sudden snap of oversteer caused Gasly to lose control, run onto the kerb, and collide with the barrier before spinning and hitting the wall again.
Alpine’s managing director Steve Nielsen described the crash as a small mistake that was harshly punished by the track’s characteristics. Gasly himself confirmed that the snap was significant and that recovering from it took longer than expected, which ultimately led to the off-track excursion. Despite this setback, Alpine’s overall performance during FP2 was encouraging.
Teammate Franco Colapinto finished seventh fastest in the session, notably ahead of the second-best midfield car by 0.147 seconds. Colapinto attributed some of Alpine’s improved showing to the cooler conditions and noted that the team had tested various parts throughout the day, including an updated halo design introduced at Spa-Francorchamps.
Alpine planned to analyze the data collected overnight to refine their car settings for the following sessions. Nielsen highlighted that the team showed better competitiveness in FP2 compared to FP1, which had been largely focused on testing. The progress suggested that Alpine was making steps forward at the Belgian circuit, even if there was still work to be done to close the gap to rivals.
The crash incident underlined how challenging the Spa-Francorchamps layout can be, especially when a small driving error is met with severe consequences. Gasly’s experience in FP2 reflected the fine margins drivers face on this demanding track. Meanwhile, Alpine’s development efforts, including aerodynamic updates and component testing, formed part of their approach to improving performance in the midfield battle.
Overall, the session provided Alpine with useful insights despite the interruption caused by Gasly’s crash. The team’s focus remained on optimizing their car setup and extracting more pace as the weekend progressed at the Belgian Grand Prix.
