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Alpine and Gasly Explain FP2 Crash at Spa
Frenchman Pierre Gasly triggered a red flag at the end of FP2 at Spa-Francorchamps following a snap of oversteer, after which Alpine and the driver clarified the incident.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-07-17T18:43:10.000Z - 2 min read
Second free practice for the Belgian Grand Prix came to an abrupt halt for Pierre Gasly. On the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the Alpine driver brought the session to an early conclusion with a crash that brought out the red flag. The late incident immediately commanded attention across the paddock.
Gasly lost control of his car on the exit of the Les Fagnes section of the circuit. A sudden snap of oversteer caught the Frenchman by surprise, sending his vehicle off the track and into the gravel trap.
After making contact with the gravel, Gasly's Alpine struck the outer barrier. The impact sent the car into a spin. Fortunately, the driver appeared unhurt, though the damage to the car was substantial.
Following the session, Alpine promptly provided an explanation of the event. The focus centered on the snap of oversteer, which was cited as the primary cause. Such unexpected vehicle reactions can occur under the dynamic conditions of a practice session.
Pierre Gasly himself also commented on his unfortunate moment. Although specific details of his explanation were not elaborated further, the account implies that he likewise identified the sudden shift in car balance as the core issue. Drivers always scrutinize such incidents closely to understand precisely what went wrong and learn from it.
The crash, which caused a red flag, represented an unwelcome disruption to weekend preparations. For Alpine, it creates additional workload to repair the car in time for upcoming sessions. Nevertheless, Formula 1 teams remain accustomed to such setbacks and will focus on a swift recovery operation.
The Les Fagnes section is renowned for its challenging high-speed corner combination, where minor setup flaws or a moment of distraction can carry heavy consequences. The oversteer highlights just how sensitive current Formula 1 cars remain to the slightest disturbances, even with experienced drivers like Gasly at the wheel.