(Motorsport-Total.com) – Pierre Gasly can be quite satisfied with the first three Formula 1 races of the new season: After a mixed start in Australia, where he was only able to collect one championship point, Alpine presented itself in China and Japan as the fourth strongest force behind Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren.
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The big goal is therefore clear: Alpine wants to make further progress and take up the fight with the big teams. Whether that is already possible at the next race in Miami (May 3)? “No, that won’t happen in the course of a month,” Gasly says, referring to the upcoming break.
“But I would like to see us as a bit more of a serious player in this group with McLaren and Ferrari after the summer break,” the Frenchman makes a clear demand of his team. “I think at the moment the gap is still too big for me to really participate in this fight.”
But at the Japanese Grand Prix, Gasly was ultimately only seven seconds behind Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton. “Seven seconds over 28 laps,” the 30-year-old muses, “that’s about three to four tenths, and that’s exactly where we need to start right now.”
Gasly admits weaknesses in the Alpine A526
Although the Frenchman already spoke of “the best car of his career so far,” he was not entirely satisfied with his race in Japan. “The car is a bit difficult, I didn’t feel as comfortable as [on Saturday], had a bit of trouble in the fast sections, which we currently know as one of our weaknesses.”
“We know what we need to improve, and that’s good,” the Alpine driver says confidently, believing that a quick solution for the current weaknesses of the A526, which is after all powered by the Mercedes power unit, seems possible.
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“We know we don’t have to worry about the power unit,” Gasly says with a satisfied grin. “We have to get the best out of what’s there and just focus on our chassis and our work. I think we have a good package, we just need to make it better.”
“A significant difference from last year”
Then Ferrari and McLaren could actually be within reach, the Alpine driver believes. “In China, I was seventh in qualifying, and in the race, the best behind the top 3,” he recalls the strong result in Shanghai. “We had the pace to be behind the top 3.”
In Japan, too, Alpine showed its strength as the fourth-best team. “I’m just happy because the car seems to work on all types of tracks,” Gasly summarizes after the first three races of the new season. “I think that definitely gives a good boost to confidence.”
“I haven’t been to the factory yet, but hopefully everyone there enjoys seeing us fight for such positions. This is a significant difference from last year. Hopefully, this gives the necessary boost to keep pushing the work forward and put us in even better shape in the coming months.”
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