Pierre Gasly saved Alpine’s honor in Australia by clinching the point for tenth place. The Frenchman speaks of a complicated weekend but one rich in lessons with the new single-seaters.
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Alpine did not have an easy weekend at the Australian Grand Prix, but Pierre Gasly managed to save the essentials by finishing tenth. The French driver had to fight throughout the race to grab this point, notably against his former teammate Esteban Ocon.
Despite the satisfaction of having opened the team’s account, Gasly admits that the entire weekend was complicated for the French squad.
“It was a complicated weekend, we had to fight a lot today, he explains. We learned a lot of things, it changes a lot compared to what we knew before and there are many things to improve.”
The Norman emphasizes that the new single-seaters introduced this season require a significant adaptation from the drivers.
Power differences that disrupt the race
One of the main new features concerns energy management and the differences in how engines operate. According to Gasly, these elements create completely new racing scenarios.
“Between the engines, there are many differences in regeneration and energy use. There are straights where some engines use more power and less in others. It creates situations we’ve never seen before.”
While these battles can be spectacular for the spectators, they are sometimes confusing for the drivers themselves.
“All the better if it’s good on TV for you, but for us it’s a bit weird in the car. You have to be smart, know how to use your energy, know where to defend and where to attack, because every decision has consequences.”
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Gasly still draws positives from this Grand Prix, despite a collision that slightly damaged his car.
“This point was hard-earned and we can be satisfied with it at the end of this long afternoon behind the wheel. We suffered some damage during contact and that probably prevented us from expressing our full potential. I think we could have fought even higher in slightly more favorable circumstances.”
Colapinto victim of a difficult weekend
For his part, Franco Colapinto did not experience the same success. Starting far back on the grid, the Argentine saw his race compromised by a stop-and-go penalty after a procedural error at the start.
“If we rely solely on the result, we are not where we want to be. But it there are clearly positives to take away given our race pace and the data collected.”
Colapinto also had a very close call at the start by narrowly avoiding the car of Liam Lawson.
“I almost hit him from behind and only saw him at the last moment. I jerked the steering wheel to the right to squeeze between the pit wall and him.”
Despite these adventures, the Argentine remains optimistic and praises the performance of his teammate: “I think we can be satisfied with the car’s behavior and performance. Well done also to Pierre for scoring the first point of the season.”
With a sprint weekend coming up in the next round in China, Alpine will need to quickly capitalize on the lessons learned in Melbourne to progress.
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