Unexpected performance for Pierre Gasly’s Alpine at Zandvoort

The Dutch Grand Prix was the race of all dreams, thanks in particular to Lando Norris’ second victory. On Alpine’s side as well, Pierre Gasly delivered a remarkable performance by securing a ninth place and 2 points for the team. After a difficult start to the weekend, Pierre Gasly’s result was a real relief for a single-seater that no longer managed to climb to the top of the rankings.

A small victory to celebrate

The Zandvoort race was not without its challenges. Alpine’s weekend got off to a rough start with Pierre Gasly and his teammate Esteban Ocon finishing 18th and 20th, respectively, in the first free practice session. Faced with concerning results, the team had their reserve driver, Jack Doohan, work on the simulator to find answers overnight. The investigation seems to have paid off as Pierre Gasly managed to secure tenth place the following day during qualifying.

The French got off to a good start on race day. Pierre Gasly overtook the two Aston Martins and managed to stay ahead of a threatening Fernando Alonso. As he spoke after the race, the Frenchman acknowledged the unexpected performance of the car. “I am extremely happy, I must say,” admitted Pierre Gasly after the race. “We were definitely not as optimistic yesterday. What a race, honestly. It was incredible. I got off to a great start, I managed to overtake Lance and Fernando on the outside at turn 1, which I think was extremely important for our race.”

« I had some good battles with Lewis and Carlos as well, so it was fun. I am very satisfied that we managed to dominate this midfield. »,” he said. Pierre Gasly’s 9th place allowed Alpine to take the lead over Haas team that they closely follow. With 27 points for the American team and 13 for the French team, the few points scored per race reduce the gap. If the experience is repeated at Monza, Alpine may one day be able to catch up with Haas in the constructors’ championship.

A double-edged progress

Pierre Gasly had a big smile on his face this Sunday, but his teammate Esteban Ocon had a more difficult weekend. After being eliminated in the first qualifying session, the Normand found himself with a car that he described as a disaster. While he felt the car was ready to go off track at every corner, it was mainly the Drag Reduction System (DRS) that caused him trouble. Despite starting in 15th position after Alex Albon’s disqualification, Esteban Ocon found himself trapped in a DRS train.

Contrary to his teammate who managed to gain a position, the French driver finished the Grand Prix in the same position as he started. While it wasn’t what he hoped for, he is still pleased with the team’s progress. “It was a difficult weekend, unfortunately,” acknowledged Esteban Ocon after the race. “I believe we gave our best today, but the positive point is that Pierre and the team had a good pace, which is good news for us.”

After this race, we have more clues, more information on the areas we think we can work and examine. We just need to identify the problems and act to solve them before the next race, the Alpine driver concluded. Despite contrasting performances in the pair, Alpine must focus on their arrival at Monza. If races will follow one after the other at the end of the season, this is one of the last moments to make big changes to the car.

Pierre Gasly’s superb performance at Zandvoort has given a glimmer of hope to the team that has been at the back of the grid lately. If Alpine remains determined, they could well score some points and snatch seventh place in the constructors’ standings currently held by Haas.