Historic Podium for Pierre Gasly – Reactions from the Top 3
After an utterly crazy race, Pierre Gasly managed to secure an incredible second place on the track, just behind Max Verstappen.
As he approached this Brazilian event, Max Verstappen clearly had a score to settle from last year, with the victory lost due to Esteban Ocon trying to unlap himself. On pole this Saturday, one-tenth ahead of Sebastian Vettel, the Red Bull driver delivered a superb performance and secured the victory:
« I didn’t stop attacking, managing the tires especially after the pit stops. Twice I made beautiful overtakes to regain the lead and then from there I was able to control the race. It’s incredible! »
The Dutch driver did not hesitate to congratulate his former teammate after his well-deserved surprise podium, especially considering the challenging season the Frenchman had. Pierre Gasly was able to take advantage of the Honda engine’s power to finish ahead of Lewis Hamilton (on the track) by a few hundredths. The Norman recounted his perspective on his surreal battle with the six-time British world champion:
« I saw once that he touched with Alexander Albon, that there was an opportunity to pass. I saw that he was coming out just behind, that he had just stopped at the pit. I knew it was going to be close, so I tried to defend as best as possible. He had a better exit than me, and I saw his wing right next to me. We have a button to deploy the battery, I kept pressing it to get maximum power. »
Immense satisfaction for Pierre Gasly who, with this 2nd place, takes revenge on this difficult season, having been demoted from Red Bull mid-season: « I had said it, my answer will be on the track but I didn’t think it would be in this way so it’s even better! »
The Toro Rosso driver quite logically described this Brazilian podium as the best day of his life: « It’s an incredible day! It might sound crazy to say this, but it’s clearly the best day of my life. So many emotions, I don’t even know what to say. »
Lewis Hamilton, penalized by five seconds after colliding with Alexander Albon, cedes his third place to Carlos Sainz. Due to the stewards’ late decision, the McLaren driver was not able to enjoy the podium:
« It no longer depends on me. I am very happy with what I achieved today, the way we came back through the pack. It was really a strange race. Anyone could have made it to the podium. There were opportunities to seize, and with one stop I didn’t think it could happen to me. »
A true contrast between qualifying and the race for the McLaren driver who started last on the grid due to an engine problem in Q1. He ultimately finished the race on the podium, thus securing significant points for his team.
