Alpine forced into second curfew breach after major Gasly car change

The Enstone-based team said it extended into the curfew period in order to make adjustments to Pierre Gasly’s car, noting that it needed to prepare a new chassis from its existing pool ahead of the competitive part of the weekend.

“The team broke curfew on Friday night for the second time (of four allowed without incurring a penalty) this season to prepare a new chassis from its existing pool for Car 10 going into the remainder of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix weekend,” read a statement from Alpine.

The breach also marks the second of four permitted curfew infringements allowed for teams over the course of the season. Alpine are not the only outfit to have fallen foul of the rule at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with McLaren earlier confirming it was also forced to breach curfew to make changes to both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s cars. Gasly endured a challenging Friday in Barcelona, finishing 17th and 16th across the two practice sessions.

Earlier, Gasly took to social media to react to the surprise news that his on-track P3 at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix had been reinstated following Alpine’s Right of Review. The Frenchman had originally received two five-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane, but those penalties have since been rescinded.

Gasly was one of five drivers to be penalised in similar circumstances, including Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, but Alpine, the only team not to serve the penalty during the race, lodged a successful Right of Review after it was proven that the distance used to calculate official timing and pit-lane speed had been “inaccurate and overestimated” the Frenchman’s actual speed.

Following the stewards’ decision, Gasly now officially holds a maiden Monaco podium. Isack Hadjar has lost what would have been his first-ever podium finish for Red Bull, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri has been promoted to P5. Both Red Bull and McLaren are understood to be appealing the decision at the International Court of Appeal.

Reacting on social media, Gasly expressed delight at the outcome and praised both Alpine and the transparency of F1 and the FIA throughout the process. Posting a smiling photo, he wrote: