Pierre Gasly delighted with his new 7th place in Japan: "The best car I've had in my career"

Solid from start to finish, Pierre Gasly converted his seventh place on the grid into another top-10 finish at Suzuka. Speaking to Canal+, the Frenchman emphasized the consistency ofAlpine at the start of this season and displays marked confidence in his single-seater.

Published 29/03/2026 à 10:00

Zoé Ledent-Mouret

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Pierre Gasly delighted with his new 7th place in Japan: "The best car I've had in my career"

© Florent Gooden / DPPI

Part seven, Pierre Gasly lived up to expectations at the Japanese Grand Prix. In a demanding race, characterized by close gaps and constant pressure within the pack, the driver Alpine demonstrated consistency to secure another points finish. Under pressure in the final laps against Max VerstappenThe Frenchman had to dig deep to maintain his position until the checkered flag.

“Towards the end, the rearview mirror was a bit too small to fit the whole car in! It was a long race, with a lot of pressure. At the beginning, I was quite comfortable with the medium tires. Since the start of the year, I knew there would be a lot of safety car periods. I knew it was going to happen. In the second half of the race, it was a bit different. Max put a lot of pressure on me; I really had to concentrate to be as fast as possible. There was no tire management; I couldn't afford to make any mistakes. He was very, very close. In the end, we managed to keep him behind and secure that seventh place.”

"We work for Miami"

Beyond this controlled defense, it is above all the consistency of the French driver that stands out. For the first time in his career, he scored points in the first three rounds of a season, proof of a significant step forward. AlpineAnd the Frenchman makes no secret of his satisfaction with the potential of his car. "For now, it's the best car I've had in my career. Maybe it comes down to the..."Alpha Tauri "For 2021. I think we have a good foundation to work from. Over the first few weekends, the car seems to be performing well. We're managing to get good performance in all areas. And we know the areas where we're limited, the areas we need to work on. We have a month ahead of us, we're working towards Miami. Overall, it's a good sign."

A strong speech, a stark contrast to the more inconsistent seasons experienced by the French team in recent years. While not yet competing with the top teams, Alpine Gasly seems to have taken a step forward in terms of consistency and understanding of his car. He also highlighted the progress observed throughout the Japanese weekend, with collective work paying off on track. The gap he opened up over some of his direct rivals, in particular, is significant. Haas and Racing Bulls, but also the relative proximity to the leading group, fuel measured but real ambitions.

"This weekend the team did another good job, we made good progress throughout the weekend. We managed to build a good gap with Lawson, we're seven seconds behind." Classic Ferrari for sale "So if we can keep this up, I hope we'll be able to catch up with the leaders." In an extremely tight field, this ability to capitalize on every opportunity could make the difference in the long run. If Alpine Confirming this dynamic, Pierre Gasly could quickly establish himself as a regular contender for top positions behind the top teams.

ALSO READ > Japanese Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli continues his winning streak, first podium of the season for Oscar Piastri

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5 Comment (s)

Yves-Henri RANDIER

29/03/2026 at 04:08 a.m.

"The best car I've ever had in my career," we believe him, but the Rouen native must still be frustrated because he only finished 7th despite holding off Verstappen throughout the Grand Prix, a battle that the broadcast didn't really show.

C

Carrera46

29/03/2026 at 04:04 a.m.

Well done, Pierre! Excellent results since the start of the season. He's confident, which is reassuring for him going forward...

E

eric stevens

29/03/2026 at 01:46 a.m.

Long live France... and thank you to the Mercedes engine! Where are all the nostalgic, chauvinistic French people who love Renault engines?

P

Paul Lucas

29/03/2026 at 11:03 a.m.

Yes Pierre, your best car! Why? Because it has a good engine now :):) Keep it up, while we wait for a good change in management. Alpine .....

A

Alain Féguenne (🇱🇺 Luxembourg)

29/03/2026 at 10:21 a.m.

Rock & Alpine … 🍾 Champagne 🥂 A fantastic race, and lots of points again. 😎 Long live France 🇫🇷 alainkf1@pt.lu

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