Overview
- The A526 stopped at the Turn 8 entry roughly 90 minutes into the morning, producing the first red flag of pre‑season testing.
- After repairs, Colapinto returned but completed only 28 laps with a 1:40.330 best, the slowest time of the session.
- Pierre Gasly handled the afternoon running for Alpine, logging 49 laps with a 1:36.765 best to finish eighth on the day.
- Team director Steve Nielsen acknowledged early reliability issues with the new Mercedes‑powered A526 and said remedies are needed quickly.
- Alpine’s plan puts Gasly in the car for both Thursday sessions and Colapinto in for a full day Friday, ahead of a second Bahrain test on Feb. 18–20 and the March 8 season opener in Melbourne.