Pierre Gasly ended his 2024 F1 season on a high in Abu Dhabi, helping Alpine secure sixth in the Constructors’ and taking tenth in the Drivers’ Standings.
As the curtain fell on the 2024 Formula 1 season, Pierre Gasly’s performance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix encapsulated a year of hard work and progress for both the French driver and the Alpine team.
After taking P3 on the opening lap as Verstappen and Piastri came together, he held that position until pitting to cover off Nico Hülkenberg, as Alpine had to mark off Haas in the UAE.
Ultimately he crossed the line in P7, 3s ahead of Hülkenberg.
Despite not making the podium, Alpine’s sixth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship and his personal triumph in securing tenth in the Drivers’ Standings left him with plenty to celebrate.
Proud of the team
Gasly shared his thoughts after the Abu Dhabi GP, reflecting on a challenging yet rewarding season for Alpine in the end.
“I’m happy, you know, sixth in the Constructors was unthinkable at the start of the year,” he said.
“The lows of the season were extremely low, and the highs were extremely high. It was the first part of this season, very tough for all of us in the team with an underperforming car.
“But I’m very proud of the reaction of the guys and the way they’ve managed to bring that much performance to give me a car in the last few races which really allowed me to perform really strongly.”
Gasly credited the team’s determination and the improvements made during the season. He stated, “It just shows that we’re heading in the right direction. The mentality and the spirit inside the team are the right ones.
“I was seeing all these positive changes already back in April and May. There was a lot of progress inside the factory, and obviously, it doesn’t translate straight away onto the track, but a couple of months later, we got all these rewards.
“Sixth in the Constructors, I think I nicked 10th in the Drivers’ Championship from Nico in the last race.
“That was the other target, yeah, that was the clear target coming here. There were three targets: to get sixth in the Constructors, 10th in the Drivers’, and keep my nose clean.
“So we’re still on zero-dollar damage, and yeah, we completed all the targets.”
A great battle for Pierre Gasly in Abu Dhabi
Gasly’s race in Abu Dhabi was not without its intense moments, particularly when he found himself running in P3 early on.
However, the challenge of holding off faster cars was too much in the end, as the two Mercedes drivers, Verstappen and Leclerc all passed him.
But the main objective was complete as he fended off the German in the Haas.
“I was obviously in third, and that was nice. I thought, ‘I’m in third, I have George [Russell] in between me and Nico [Hülkenberg]; it’s better to keep him there.’ But he wasn’t too keen on staying behind me, so I had to fight him quite hard.
“After that, I must say Lewis [Hamilton] and Charles [Leclerc] were incredibly fast today. I knew the target was anyway us and Nico, and the entire race it was within two seconds, keeping a lot of pressure.
“So I could not afford to make any mistakes, even with the tyres really trying to keep them until the end of the race, which was very tough.
“We just got a very long stint on hards, but we made it happen.”
Optimism for Alpine’s future
Gasly expressed excitement about Alpine’s trajectory, crediting key figures such as Flavio Briatore, Oliver Oakes, and David Sanchez for their influence on the team’s development. “They have clear targets for the team, and so far, it’s a very honest and transparent relationship,” he explained.
“They value my feedback and inputs inside the team. I want a faster car, I want to fight at the front, and I do believe there is huge potential in Enstone to get a very strong race car.
“They didn’t show it at the start of the year, but they’ve shown that there is clearly a lot of potential in the way they’ve developed.
“We just need to start with a stronger base, and yeah, hopefully next year we can be told. It was nice running in P3, but next year I want more of that.”
Gasly also praised the technical expertise of David Sanchez, formerly of Ferrari and McLaren, saying, “So far, I’m really happy with him.
“Great input technically, and we have a lot of conversations. He has a lot of experience from other teams, and I think he’s a very valuable asset to the team.”
Pierre Gasly’s zero-damage season was another point of pride, with even team boss Flavio Briatore likely to approve of his clean record. As for a potential raise, Gasly joked, “We’ll see”.
