Bahrain – Francophone report: four small points for Gasly, an early retirement for Grosjean
Gray faces for the two French drivers in Sakhir. Starting 13th, Pierre Gasly finished eighth, barely saving face in a complicated weekend. Hampered by a collision at the start, Romain Grosjean retired on the 11th lap of the Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc: 3rd (1st on the grid)
Find his reaction in this article.
Translate: Pierre Gasly: 8th (13th on the grid)
In line with Melbourne, the Red Bull driver experienced another challenging race, battling in the middle of the pack after a poor qualifying session. A modest satisfaction, a points finish, his first for Red Bull Racing. « It was quite a difficult race. As soon as I tried to push, I was struggling with the rear and traction », summarized the main concerned, still struggling with the setup of his car.
Despite a few overtakes, the former Toro Rosso driver did not shine in Bahrain and mainly benefited from various race incidents to finish in the points. He is aware of this and acknowledges that he has work to do: “At the moment, I really can’t push. I have to make efforts and adapt, as every car is different, and I will work with the team to find the settings that suit my driving style best.”
He remains optimistic for the rest of the championship: « Overall, I think there are also positive points today. After the start, the car felt better, I managed to finish in the points and we just need to find the areas where we can improve. We will do the work and I’ll do anything I can to arrive stronger in China. » A race he will approach with a 23-point deficit to Max Verstappen, his teammate, who took fifth place in Sakhir.
Romain Grosjean: abandoned (11th on the grid)
The other major Francophone disappointment in this Grand Prix is Romain Grosjean! Indeed, the Haas driver was involved in a collision and suffered a puncture in the first lap, forcing him to pit. The culprit, Lance Stroll, hit him from behind, forcing him to stop. On the 11th lap of the race, driver #8 was called back to his pit, this time to retire.
At the microphone of Laurent Dupin (Canal +), Romain Grosjean did not mince his words: “There’s a guy who attacks me at turn 2,” pointing to Stroll. Already at a standstill in Australia due to a loose wheel problem, the former Lotus driver was obviously very disappointed by this new incident: “In qualifying, we are already quite harshly penalized with this 11th place on the grid. And in the race, a driver hits me.” However, despite the Haas driver’s feelings, the stewards decided not to penalize Stroll, considering the incident as a race occurrence. Will Romain Grosjean’s season start at the 1,000th Grand Prix in Formula 1 history in Shanghai?
