Pierre Gasly is having a difficult time at Alpine, which has started the 2024 season poorly. In 2023, both Alpine drivers finished on the podium, but this year the zero is still on the scoreboard. In fact, Alpine is currently the last to come, and that occasionally puts Gasly’s patience to the test.
The Frenchman was allowed to join top team Red Bull Racing in 2019, but was replaced halfway through the season. After a strong period at AlphaTauri, he thought it was time for a step up after 2022. Alpine offered a good opportunity for this, as a factory team, but Red Bull’s sister team now represents Alpine. However, Gasly explains that he will continue to go for it. “As soon as I get in the car, I go like an animal,” the Frenchman tells Motorsport.com.
Fighting in the rear
Gasly tries to maximize, even though he was 21st for Australia in a championship with twenty regular participants. ‘I want to do the best with the package I have at my disposal. Even if we drive a great lap now, you will be fourteenth, or if you drive a strong race, you will be thirteenth. That doesn’t give the same satisfaction as a victory or even a fifth place. As a team we learn from this and try to improve. The team is working very hard, and I can see that they are choosing certain directions to improve our package, and I also know that we will improve, but that will take time.’
In Australia, Gasly finished thirteenth, after starting seventeenth; his best results of the season. As a result, Gasly rose to nineteenth place in the championship. ‘Last year I fought with Carlos Sainz for fourth place. Now he wins the race, and I finish thirteenth,” the Frenchman is disappointed. ‘It’s not fun, but this is the position we find ourselves in. I also know that we will not stop here, and I trust that the team will find solutions to improve performance. But we have to improve so that we can fight for points again.’
