Seventh in Suzuka, Pierre Gasly continues his excellent start to the season after a high-pressure race.
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On the demanding layout of the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly once again demonstrated his full solidity. The Alpine driver crossed the finish line in seventh position, resisting constant pressure from Max Verstappen for many laps.
Behind him for almost the entire race, the four-time world champion never stopped trying to find an opening, without success. A tense situation that Gasly managed perfectly.
“The mirror was a bit small for me to see his whole car! It was a long race with a lot of pressure,” he confides with humor.
This performance confirms the Frenchman’s consistency, as he continues to deliver solid results since the start of the season.
A controlled race despite tricky conditions
Everything had started well for Gasly, who was particularly comfortable during the first stint on medium tires. The Frenchman was able to make the most of his initial pace to position himself in the top 10.
“At the start of the race, I was comfortable with the mediums, and with the many Safety Cars this season, I knew that could play a role,” he explains.
And indeed, the safety car intervention reshuffled the deck. Like Verstappen, Gasly pitted at the same time, which restarted the duel between the two drivers for the second half of the race.
But unlike others, the Alpine driver did not crack under pressure.
A tense second half
After the restart, the complexion of the race changed. Verstappen seemed to have a slight pace advantage, especially with the hard tires, which made the task even more difficult for Gasly.
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“He put a lot of pressure on me until the end. There wasn’t really any tire management and he stayed very close, but I managed to keep him behind,” the Frenchman details.
Lap after lap, Gasly had to defend every line, every braking point, without making the slightest mistake. A demonstration of composure against one of the most formidable drivers on the grid.
The best start to a season of his career
Beyond the raw result, this seventh place above all symbolizes a milestone reached by Gasly. For the first time in his career, he has scored points in the first three races of the season.
“For now, it’s the best car I’ve had, along with the 2021 AlphaTauri. We have a very good base,” he emphasizes.
The Frenchman highlights the progress made by his team, which now allows him to compete more regularly with the best structures on the grid.
“We progressed well throughout the weekend. The gap to the cars in front remains significant, but if we continue like this, we can get closer,” he believes.
With this performance, Alpine now moves level with Red Bull in the championship, a strong signal sent to the competition. The momentum is clearly positive, and the upcoming month-long break could allow the French team to reach a new level before the resumption in Miami.
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