Jack Doohan heads to the Australian Grand Prix filled with confidence after Alpine’s strong display on the final day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.
Pierre Gasly concluded the Enstone squad’s programme with the fifth fastest lap, almost half a second behind Mercedes pacesetter George Russell.
But overall, the French outfit’s A525 was in the mix as a top midfield contender, even despite Alpine retaining its 2024 chassis as its new car’s foundation.
“We had three smooth days with no issues and the car ran well all week, which meant we could achieve plenty of laps and plenty of mileage,” commented Doohan, reflecting on his team’s week in Bahrain.
“We collected a lot of great data and, on a personal side, I took on some useful knowledge to apply in Australia for the first race.
“Conditions have been mixed all week but that’s good to put us all through our paces. I am going into Melbourne with confidence. There is much more to come.”
Despite Alpine's impressive showing, team boss Oliver Oakes cautioned against over-optimism.
The front four teams – McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari – performed more or less in line with expectations, while the midfield significantly narrowed the gap.
But the focus of Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes isn’t on headline-grabbing lap times or bold predictions - it’s on the nuts and bolts of progress, reliability, and laying a groundwork that’ll hold up when the lights go green in Melbourne.
Testing’s a murky crystal ball, he admits, but Alpine’s walked away from the desert with more answers than questions and a plan to hit the ground running.
“Testing is never easy to fully understand where you stand in the pecking order,” Oakes said.
“We’ve really focused on ourselves this week and I am pleased with the things we have learnt and how we have progressed across the three days.
“We have a good base to work from and a solid foundation to start the season. Both drivers completed plenty of laps, which is important for them and also good to get mileage on certain components to test reliability.
“Now, we’re looking forward to debriefing back at base next week before attention turns to racing in Australia.”
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