Pierre Gasly at Suzuka: a fit of rage that overshadows everything else
Pierre Gasly crossed the finish line in 10th position but believes he deserved the 9th place more. An order from his team shortly before the end and his strong reaction that followed sparked a real controversy.
Starting 12th in Suzuka, Pierre Gasly managed to finish right in the points during the Japanese Grand Prix, in 10th place. He said he was satisfied with the result, although he stated after the race that he deserved the 9th position more.
« First of all, we were able to score points in the two consecutive races after starting from twelfth place on the grid and finishing in the points. From my side, I felt that it was a very positive race with solid stints on both medium and hard tires, which allowed us to position ourselves to score points », declared the Frenchman after the race.
« We seemed competitive, neck and neck with Fernando [Alonso] in front of us, and it might have been possible to catch up with him », he claims. He indeed did not disgrace himself in the midfield, but lacked the power to overtake the Spaniard.
Middle finger
The one wearing the number 10 also reflected on his outburst following an instruction from his team, stating that he had to give back the position to his teammate Esteban Ocon. As a reminder, the latter yielded his position to his teammate in order to overtake Fernando Alonso thanks to his fresher tires and aim for eighth place, seven laps before the end.
, à Suzuka, lors du Grand Prix du Japon. Pierre Gasly a montré sa frustration en faisant un doigt d’honneur et en ayant une discussion houleuse avec l’équipe Alpine. Selon lui, cette décision de rendre sa position à Esteban Ocon n’avait pas été discutée préalablement. Cette situation a clairement irrité le pilote originaire de Rouen.
“He even raised a middle finger.”
« As a team, we have some things to review to see what we could improve next time », he simply commented, wanting to address this internally. « In the end, it’s a double score for the team and that’s the most important thing. » Hopefully, Alpine will have found a solution to these communication issues for the Qatar Grand Prix in two weeks.
