Racing Bulls Hold Fifth in Constructors’ Championship After Monza Double Points Finish
Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad labeled the team’s double points result at the Italian Grand Prix as “damage limitation” following Alpine’s dominant qualifying performance at Monza. The result allows Racing Bulls to retain fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship—widely regarded as the ‘best of the rest’ battle behind Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull.
Alpine’s Qualifying Pace Fades in Race Conditions
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza weekend initially pointed toward a significant swing in Alpine’s favor. Pierre Gasly delivered a shock pole position on Saturday, while Lindblad qualified tenth for Racing Bulls and stand-in teammate Yuki Tsunoda was eliminated in Q1.
Race dynamics shifted dramatically on Sunday. Gasly dropped from the lead group to finish seventh. Lindblad crossed the line in eighth, splitting the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto, while Tsunoda recovered from the back of the grid to claim the final point in tenth.
The scoring play leaves Racing Bulls on 75 points, maintaining a 13-point buffer over Alpine (62 points). Haas remains a distant third in the midfield fight with 21 points.
Lindblad: Splitting Alpines a Confidence Booster
Speaking after the race, Lindblad emphasized the psychological value of the result given Alpine’s straight-line speed advantage.
“I think on a weekend where Alpine have brought something special on the straights, to be able to split them is very good.
“It’s a very small loss to them when in reality Pierre was starting on pole and I was starting P10, so to finish right behind him is good. I think it’s damage limitation for us, so we can be happy as a team.”
The Swedish driver, who has now scored points in seven of the last eight Grands Prix, highlighted the VCARB 01’s cornering prowess as a key asset for upcoming circuits.
“I think obviously for me it’s a confidence booster, but also it’s credit to the team. We do have a strong car, it’s a robust car, it’s good on every circuit.
“Even today Alpine were much faster than us on the straights, but on the corners we were the same if not quicker. It was the same yesterday in Qualifying.
“In most tracks it’s corners that are the more important one. That gives us confidence for the upcoming rounds that we’ll still have the upper hand.”
Tsunoda Recovers from Q1 Exit and Start Confusion
Yuki Tsunoda, returning to the cockpit after a hiatus since the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, finished 13 seconds behind Lindblad. His race was complicated by a start procedure infringement investigation—stemming from missing his grid slot at the restart—which the stewards ultimately declined to penalize.
Tsunoda addressed the incident with characteristic candor.
“I don’t have to talk about that, I guess?” Tsunoda smiled afterwards, having missed his grid slot at the race restart. “It’s been a bit of months that I was not racing. Some bit of confusion there. A very, very bad excuse!”
Despite the frustration of a Q1 exit despite competitive pace, the Japanese driver valued the championship points secured for the team’s fight against Alpine.
“But it was a good race. A massive thanks to the team. Not bad, I think, having points after a bit of a break after Abu Dhabi [in 2025], so I’ll take it.
“It was really frustrating [to be out in Q1], because the pace was there, but at the same time, I’m happy that I brought these points back to the team now, especially when we’re fighting hard against Alpine.”
Midfield Battle Intensifies Ahead of Upcoming Rounds
With the championship gap holding at 13 points, the Racing Bulls vs. Alpine narrative remains the defining subplot of the midfield. Lindblad’s consistency and the car’s cornering strength offer Racing Bulls a platform to defend their position, while Alpine’s qualifying pace—evident in Gasly’s pole—suggests they remain a potent threat on power-sensitive circuits.
