A weekend to forget for Pierre Gasly in Austin

With two penalties and a black and white flag, Pierre Gasly experienced a Grand Prix to forget in Austin.

Published on 24/10/2022 à 15:26

Valentin GLO

0 View comments)

A weekend to forget for Pierre Gasly in Austin

Weekend to forget for Pierre Gasly in Austin (Photo Xavi Bonilla / DPPI)

The weekend seemed to have started well for Pierre Gasly. After the first Free Practice sessions, the Frenchman was positively surprised by the level of performance of his AT03. 

« On paper we expected to struggle at this circuit but the performance and speed in FP1 were really goodthe person concerned was then surprised. I felt better with the car than the last two weekends. We therefore hope to be able to take a step forward (for qualifying purposes). »

The anger of Pierre Gasly in qualifying

However, the rest went from bad to worse for the Habs. In qualifying, the Normandy threw a tantrum on the radio. “ I am doing my best, first launched the Habs in his first attempt in Q2 where he locked his front wheels at the first corner before returning to the charge a few moments later. Why do we still have this problem? At turns 1 and 11 it's the same m****. It's the second weekend in a row. » Referring to a problem that has already occurred in Japan.

In Texas, Pierre Gasly was in the points before suffering a five-second penalty for leaving too much space with the car in front of him under the Safety Car regime following the spectacular accident between Fernando Alonso et Lance stroll. A penalty poorly executed by his team during his pit stop, synonymous with an additional five seconds. The future pilot Alpine was also singled out by race management for abuse of track limits, sanctioned by a black and white flag. 

Gasly didn't understand his penalties

“I was satisfied with the behavior of the car in the race: from the start, we had a good pace and I had a lot of fun driving today, judges Pierre Gasly, however. Too bad there were those penalties, but I certainly wasn't trying to be smart or have an advantage. In any case, the commissioners decide: it's a shame, but there are still positive aspects that must be considered today. I have been involved in many fantastic battles and overtakes which show how competitive the car can be and that points are within reach. I can't wait to see what will be possible in the next races. » 

“I don't know... Apparently I took 2 or 3 penalties. I am not going to contradict the FIA, they are the ones who always have the last word, confided Pierre Gasly at the microphone of Canal+. Honestly, I was surprised by this situation. I must have made a mistake, we will check everything. I was trying to follow the car in front of me, warming up my tires and brakes as usual. Ultimately, it costs us points. We could have had a good race, so it's a shame. »

ALSO READ > Pierre Gasly's frustration after a premature elimination

Valentin GLO

Journalist. Endurance reporter (WEC, IMSA, ELMS, ALMS) and sometimes F1 or IndyCar.

0 View comments)