Overview
- Franco Colapinto was eliminated in Q2 and will start 13th on the grid after Saturday's qualifying, finishing his best lap in 1:16.191 and edging team‑mate Pierre Gasly by 0.070 seconds.
- Colapinto publicly called the day "a disaster" and said the Alpine A526 "does not do what I want," citing poor balance, handling in and out of corners, and rapid tyre degradation on single‑lap runs.
- Alpine worked overnight to fit a new chassis to Pierre Gasly under a permitted curfew exception, a technical move the team says is aimed at diagnosing and fixing handling issues for both cars.
- George Russell took pole with a 1:14.679 for Mercedes while championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli starts third, framing Alpine's need to score steady points as Colapinto sits 12th in the standings with 15 points.
- The Spanish race will run Sunday over 66 laps at Montmeló with high track temperatures expected to test tyre life and strategy, and Alpine's short‑term focus is on setup changes that could affect both drivers' race pace.