Alpine’s finishing in the podium positions, with both cars, was one of the biggest surprises this season. After a difficult and disrupted qialifying earlier today, Pierre Gasly started the race from P13 on the grid and managed to make up 10 positions to finish the race in third behind teammate Estaban Ocon.
He gained 4 places on the opening lap but was soon overtaken by Max Verstappen. The 2020 Italian GP winner picked off Alonso, Piastri and Lawson (turned around by the Aussie) before the stops started. After Leclerc, Norris and Russell boxed, he was up to P3.
With the red flag appearing, he held that position from the restart until the end, securing his fifth podium in F1.
This was an ”incredible” result for the team after it’s been struggling for points all season, something Gasly acknowledged after the race.
“It’s incredible for the whole team […] we had such a tough season we have struggled to score points, and yeah in these conditions everything was possible, and no, we believed it until the end two cars on the podium I don’t think anyone would have got that on that bingo card ahead of the season so it’s just fantastic.
“Safety Car does it honestly. It is the same for everybody. You know you can’t take away anything from the performance of the team today has been absolutely incredible.
“I am so proud of the guys […] It has been a very tough season there has been a lot said about the team, not quite positively, but regardless of that, they kept pushing, and everybody stayed united and today, I am very proud of everybody in the team, whether it’s in Enstone, whether it’s in Viry, whether it’s at the track, they always give their very best for us.
“We have struggled to even make it to the top the whole season, and on a day like today, we believe like something like this was possible it was so easy to make a mistake and we didn’t.
“So yeah, it’s historical. It’s incredible for the team, and it’s a moment we will remember because, honestly, in a season like this year, it’s the most unexpected result that anyone could have thought about, and we did it not with only one car but two, cars […] which makes it even more special.
“There is a lot to be said, but at the end of the day, I am incredibly proud of the guys and very happy about this result.”
With Esteban Ocon leaving for Haas after the end of the season, it marks a strong result to “end the chapter” for the French duo, who share a lot of history from their karting days.
“It’s also very special with our story with Esteban we had our ups and downs, and we only got 4 more races together and kind of shared that podium end that chapter regardless of our past.
“No, but it’s a unique relationship.
“It’s something only we can understand. No matter how long ago we were together. There is respect.
“It makes it very cool to end our story like this. There’s a lot of cool stuff today. From P13 to P3 it’s a special one.”
The result was certainly surprising, but it goes to show that you should never give up, and on a day like today, what seems impossible can be achieved, according to the 28-year-old.
“It’s unreal. That’s why you should never give up.
“On a season where you come back every single weekend with the optimism, with the mindset that everything is possible, even if the car is not there or isn’t working, you still got to do your best performance out there cause you never know what can happen.
“This morning, I woke up at 5 a.m absolutely not feeling great after such a short night. But then I was super excited because I knew that on a day like today anything is possible, and we proved it.
“Everyone who supports us throughout the season definitely makes it worth it. Thank you for all the support. That was great.”
