A difficult day for Alpine at the Canadian Grand Prix
Franco Colapinto regrets a poor « » strategy after dropping out of the points at the Canadian Grand Prix, while his Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly also admits that the « team needs to review its » copy after a complicated race in Montreal.
Everything had started well for Franco Colapinto, who had launched from 10th place after beating Pierre Gasly in qualifying for the first time since his return to F1. But after losing a position at the start of the race to Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber), the Argentine found himself stuck in traffic after his first pit stop, which caused him to lose even more ground.
The two drivers outside the top 10
The rest of the race was difficult for the Argentine, who ultimately crossed the finish line in 13th position, without managing to climb back into the top 10.
« I think we got the most out of what we had today. It just didn't turn in our favor strategy-wise, » said the 22-year-old driver after the race.
« It was difficult to know if we were making the wrong choice, but I think we clearly took the wrong direction. By stopping early, while many cars had switched to hard tires, and with the teammates of the drivers in front slowing down the race for them, it put us in a very bad situation, and it killed our tires », he explains.
« After this first stop, I had a very slow pace because of the dirty air, and it was very difficult to overtake, with limited power on the straights. It made our race really complicated, we fell back. »
« It was tough today, but we still learned some things, so we need to focus on the next one. » Despite this disappointing outcome, Franco Colapinto felt it was his best weekend since his return to the grid with Alpine, at Imola.
« Yes, that's how I feel. But when we get into the points, we want to stay there, and today, we didn't do what was necessary for that. That's the most frustrating part. »
Same feeling for Pierre Gasly
For Pierre Gasly as well, the day was complicated. Forced to start from the pit lane after modifications to his car in Parc Fermé, the Frenchman was never in a position to fight for points. His one-stop strategy did not pay off and he finished 15th.
« We tried with the strategy, to be honest, we tried everything », admitted Pierre Gasly.
« But we were really slow on the straights, so we need to review exactly what we could have done better. I think we had the pace, but it was a frustrating afternoon, stuck behind other cars, and since we were slower than them on the straights, it was very difficult to overtake. We'll analyze all that. »
Pierre Gasly was also forced to go onto the grass during a duel with Lance Stroll for 17th place – a maneuver that earned the Aston Martin driver a 10-second penalty.
« We were pretty much side by side in the last corner. I think he could have given me a bit more space, not much, just a few centimeters. But that pushed me onto the grass, I had to cut the chicane to get back on track. »
« In fact, what sums it all up is that it was a frustrating afternoon where I couldn't really fight », he concluded.
