Gasly stuck in Q2: “The car is not mine yet”

Pierre Gasly (Red Bull) remains frustrated in the qualifying exercise in 2019. The Frenchman only achieved the 13th fastest time on the Sakhir circuit (Bahrain) this Saturday March 30 and did not advance to Q3.

The new recruit at Red Bull failed to reach six hundredths of a place in the top 10. At the end of Q2, the gap with his teammate Max Verstappen reached four tenths. “Since the start of the weekend, we have been struggling with the balance of the car, reveals the 2 GP2016 Series champion. I have problems with the rear axle.

The tires spin a lot and this makes the behavior quite unpredictable. With such close adversity, not putting everything together is costly. I can't drive the way I want. »

In these circumstances, Pierre Gasly attempted a new set-up, which did not bear fruit. “We tried something that didn’t work. It probably takes a little more time and discussion with the engineers to resolve this. At the moment, it’s the unpredictability that makes driving complicated. »

The Habs had already felt this lack of confidence in the rear during winter testing in Barcelona (Spain). “It wasn’t to that degree. This weekend is more serious than before. » It’s not just that the rear axle lacked consistency. “Sometimes the front grabs, sometimes it slides, then it comes back. »

Pierre Gasly should not be able to repeat his performance from last year, which saw him finish just off the podium aboard his modest Toro Rosso. “I felt comfortable with her from the start. Today, I feel that the car is not yet mine. It takes time and work to understand what we need to tailor it to my preferences. »