Pierre Gasly is now a confirmation on the Formula 1 starting grid. The Frenchman once again led his AlphaTauri in front of more noble cars than the single-seater from Faenza, conquering the fifth fastest time at the end of Friday qualifying for the Grand Prix of San Paul.
Gasly’s 2021 season is very respectable: podium in Baku, constantly in the top 10 under the checkered flag and, in the latest releases, firmly “first of humans” behind the W12s and RB16Bs. Not bad, for a driver who had already been too quickly indicated as on the avenue of the sunset after an unhappy and hasty experience in the times alongside Max Verstappen.
And, predictably, Gasly doesn’t mince words once interviewed by the media to express all his joy. “I am very happy, I had a beautiful lap. Perhaps the best of the season”, the Frenchman declared to Mara Sangiorgio of Sky Sport F1.
Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri AT02
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“This morning was difficult for me because I didn’t feel comfortable in the car. It’s not an easy situation on Friday mornings, especially when you have qualifying in the afternoon and after the Sprint Qualifying,” continues Gasly.
And the Sprint Race was an Achilles heel for the winner of the 2020 Italian GP: in fact, in Monza, his race lasted just under a kilometer, thanks to a bad exit from the track at the Biassono curve. At Silverstone, where the format began, Pierre did not go beyond twelfth place under the checkered flag.
“For us it is always difficult with the Sprint Qualifying, let’s see what we can do tomorrow, if we have a chance to do. We must not forget that Lewis will have a penalty to serve on the grid on Sunday. We will see what we can do tomorrow,” concludes Gasly.
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