Pierre Gasly spoke today about his experiences with the BWT Alpine F1 Team this season and his confidence in the A524 going into the Monaco Grand Prix. The French driver, who has yet to score a point this season, stated that he had stopped having any expectations for the Monaco Grand Prix as his experience had taught him that it was difficult for him to make predictions due to the unique setup that was required for the race.
“I’ve learnt over the years that coming to Monaco, I just [have] to stop having any expectations because sometimes you think your car is made for Monaco [and] it’s not. And then it turns out that the setup you run in Monaco is just so unique to these streets. We never run the car in these conditions and sometimes the car just becomes alive and sometimes it doesn’t.”
Instead, He indicated that he would prefer to wait until he was able to get “the first feel” in the car during the Friday practice sessions before making any predictions about his or the car’s expected performance over the weekend. He did, however, state that the car had felt better in Imola and that it had produced good findings but noted that the team planned to “run the car so much softer” than usual in the hopes that they could unlock some of the potential that had missing so far this season.
“So, I’ll wait until tomorrow before I get the first feel in the car, but I’m coming here feeling in the car in Imola was better. There were some good findings. We’re going to run the car so much softer than we usually do [and] that hopefully it’s going to unlock some of the potential that we’ve been missing, but we’ll find out tomorrow.”
With the Alpine F1 team currently sitting at in 8th place in the Constructor’s standings, with only the single point scored by Esteban Ocon at the Miami GP separating them from 9th-place Williams Racing, Gasly was also asked about how this season’s A524 compared to its predecessor, the A523.
The 28-year-old admitted that there had been significant changes, noting the exceptions as being the steering wheel and the two drivers.
“Yeah, we’ve got the steering which is the same as last year and the two drivers, but everything else has changed. So yeah, it is very different.”
The French driver also talked about the challenges of racing in Monaco, stating that he was “always kind of fighting” with the car in Monaco and describing “nailing” a lap as being the most difficult around that track. He claimed that this was due to the track layout, particularly its bumpiness and “the way the track is made”.
However, Gasly also admitted that while the disappointment of an unsuccessful lap felt “the same as any other track”, the satisfaction of having a successful lap around the Monaco track was higher than on other laps.
“You’re always kind of fighting in Monaco with the car because of the track layout, the bumpiness and just the way the track is made, but I would say the challenge and the exercise of really hooking it and nailing that lap in Monaco is harder than anywhere else.
“And just because of that reason, when you do it, the satisfaction is higher than on other tracks. But you just feel when it’s the lap and when it’s not quite the lap, you’ve had a snap, a bit more wheelspin, the car didn’t really respond, you missed an apex or something… it feels the same as any other track, but that satisfaction when it all comes together, if you get that in Q3 for example, that’s a pretty awesome feeling.”
When asked if he had had examples of that satisfaction that he had described, Gasly noted the 2018 and 2021 Monaco Grands Prix. In particular, he highlighted the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix where, as an AlphaTauri driver, he qualified sixth “with some pretty, definitely very, very good laps.”
Gasly finished that race in sixth position. The French driver added that he hoped that he would be able to repeat his 2021 qualifying performance on Saturday.
“Yeah, I think in 2018, I remember a quali. In 2021, I think with Alpha Tauri, I qualified a couple of times, like six or seventh with some pretty, definitely very, very good laps, so hopefully we can do one of them here on Saturday.”
Gasly also spoke about the current driver’s market and his place within it, expressing that he did not want to speak too much on the matter but added that he did not have anything to announce at the current time.
“I don’t want to expand too much because it’s too easy to be taking things out of context, but I know things are being discussed, we’re all aware of the situation with the driver market.
“For the time being, I don’t have anything to announce, and you guys will know when there’ll be something to announce, but obviously, you guys are aware of what’s going on.”
However, the Alpine driver added that he had seen a lot of positive changes within the team. He stated that those changes were not currently being translated to the track due to the concept of the car not providing the performance that had been hoped for.
He added that it was necessary for the team to be patient so avoid making minimal changes which “still won’t be enough to fight for” the desired results but expressed that the team would eventually introduce an upgrade package which they hoped would improve their performance.
“I’ve always said I’ve seen a lot of positive changes in the background in the team where I definitely think we’ve made a step forward in many areas, which unfortunately doesn’t translate on the track because of you know, the car which is not that… the concept which is not providing the performance that we had hoped for.
“Unfortunately at the moment we’ve got to be patient because we don’t want to bring something to make a minimal change on the track which still won’t be enough to fight for the positions we want, so we’ll have to wait a bit longer, but then at some point, we know that we’ll come with a package which we hope will give us that edge to finally fight for more relevant positions.”
Despite his concerns about the car, Gasly praised the structure of the team itself, particularly the strong mentality of team personnel despite the poor results which he described as being “tough on everyone”.
He expressed that he had seen “a very strong will” for change from the staff as they look to bounce back, and Gasly knows that the team had the tools and abilities to make necessary changes going forward.
“But in terms of structure, I see a lot of positives, the mentality, you’re really challenging people when as a team, after seven races, you’re [on a ] single point in the championship, it’s tough on everyone.
“It’s tough on drivers, it’s tough on mechanics, on engineers, people back in Enstone, in Viry, and the reaction I’m seeing from all these people, they definitely have a very strong will of changing and knowing that we’ve got the tools and the abilities, whether it’s in the technical staff or in the tools that we have to make a change.”
When asked whether Gasly saw the team as being one to stay with going into the future, the French driver did not give a clear answer. Instead, he indicated that he was assisting the team in the areas that his position as driver allowed him and that he was encouraged by the team’s positive attitude and motivation despite the “tough situation”.
He stated that he wanted to be in a place to go for better positions but added that “time would tell” about the decisions that would need to be made regarding the current car concept.
“I’m obviously looking and pushing the guys in all the different areas that I can as a driver because the target is coming for all of us.
“No one is enjoying the position we are in at the moment. But yeah, I must say I’m seeing that motivation. I’m seeing that reaction, I’m seeing that, you know, definitely a positive attitude in a tough situation for all of us.
“Obviously, I [would] like to fight for better positions, so I guess time will tell in the coming weeks and coming months on what we’re doing, what the findings we’re having in the wind tunnel and the decisions we’re going to take about this car concept.
