A solid race for Pierre Gasly despite the ups and downs of the Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix, the first round of the 2025 Formula 1 season, was full of twists and turns in Melbourne on Sunday. Lando Norris took victory in difficult weather conditions, but Alpine's Pierre Gasly also made his mark.
From the qualifications, Pierre Gasly demonstrated the potential of the Alpine by qualifying in ninth place, positioning himself as the best Frenchman on the starting grid. He expressed his satisfaction, highlighting the progress made after less convincing free practice sessions.
A race in the top 10 disrupted by the weather
From the start, the Alpine driver managed to maintain his position, consistently staying in the top 10 despite the changing track conditions. However, a strategic choice at the end of the race, staying on slick tires in heavy rain, worked against him. This decision allowed competitors such as Kimi Antonelli, Alexander Albon, and Nico Hülkenberg to overtake him.
Technical problems at the end of the race
To make matters worse, Pierre Gasly encountered front brake issues in the final laps, making driving more difficult and depriving him of the chance to defend his position against Charles Leclerc. Despite these obstacles, he crossed the finish line in eleventh place, 26.502 seconds behind the winner, Lando Norris.
« I no longer had front brakes, I couldn’t brake during the last laps, that’s why we stopped. It’s a shame, it was a crazy race. We took risks by staying with dry tires and spent the whole race in the points, but it wasn’t the right choice. It was our decision, but unfortunately, it wasn’t the one that yielded the most points. It’s a pity, but we’re not going to dwell on it. It would have been nice to start the season with points, but we were in the top 10 pack throughout the race.
A positive outcome despite everything
Despite the lack of points, the Frenchman remains optimistic. He emphasizes that the Alpine showed good pace throughout the weekend and that the issues encountered were related to strategic choices and isolated incidents. He now turns his attention to the next Grand Prix in China, determined to capitalize on the lessons learned in Melbourne.
