Gasly: “The car was born under a bad sign”
Alpine is experiencing a difficult start to the season, far from past expectations. Pierre Gasly acknowledges that the car is poorly born but that the improvements seem to be heading in the right direction.
In China, Alpine had chosen to prioritize Esteban Ocon by entrusting him with the only package of upgrades produced in time for the race. This decision was based on the fact that he had outperformed his teammate since the beginning of the season.
As the curtain-raiser for the Miami Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly was pleased to have exactly the same car setup as his teammate this weekend: “The improvements have brought what we hoped they would bring. It’s a step in the right direction, but there is obviously still a lot to do to catch up with the rest of the pack.” With the slight performance gain observed, the French team felt they at least had a chance to fight: “This additional tenth allows us to be in the battle.”
But this does not solve the structural problem of this single-seater: « We know that the car is badly born. It happens that some years you get it right and other years, you make mistakes. I know it will take time but at least now we have enough data to know what works and what doesn’t. »
As always in F1, time flies and presses, as the driver is without a contract for next year: « We are already in May. We are looking at what is still possible for this season and the next. But also, we have 2026 which will require a lot of work to build a brand-new car. » The frustration comes from the fact that the team is improving but it does not translate on the track: « The car concept we have is not working but it doesn’t mean we are doing everything wrong. »
When asked about his future, Pierre Gasly firmly chose a No comment, not even wanting to say if his current employer was his preferred option or not. However, he admitted that he was closely watching what was happening at the factory, including the new engine concept for 2026.
By our special envoy in Miami
