Метка: Pierre Gasly

Gasly disqualified from Azerbaijan qualifying over fuel flow infringement

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Alpine’s Pierre Gasly has been disqualified from Formula 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying for falling foul of the FIA’s fuel flow regulations.

After qualifying 13th in Baku, Gasly’s car failed scrutineering as FIA sensors revealed the Frenchman’s engine «exceeded the instantaneous fuel mass flow» during Q2.

Gasly was thrown out of the results soon after, which is the latest setback for Alpine after a troubled weekend.

Team-mate Esteban Ocon parked after just three laps in FP1 with MGU-H issues, leading to an engine change.

Ocon broke down again at the start of FP3 with a fuel pump failure and would end up qualifying last after tagging the wall in Q1.

Gasly is now set to join him and Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu, who is taking an engine penalty, at the back of the grid, unless Alpine decides to use the opportunity to make further changes and start from the pitlane instead.

«The Technical Delegate reported that Car 10 exceeded the permitted 100Kg/h fuel mass flow on the final timed lap of Q2,» the stewards’ verdict read.

«The team representatives explained that they had an unexpected short duration technical fault that raised the fuel mass flow greater than expected in a transient fashion. The cause was agreed by the FIA technical staff.

«That the fuel mass flow was greater than the limit at that moment was not disputed by the competitor.

«The competitor demonstrated to the Stewards that the technical fault resulted in a slower lap time and that no performance advantage was obtained at that moment.

«Thus, they argue, this should be taken into mitigation. They also noted that the great rarity of breaches of this article demonstrates that this is not part of their strategy, and that the scale of the transient simply exceeded the margin they maintain to prevent a beach.

«The usual penalty for a breach of the technical regulations is disqualification and the Stewards note that Article 1.3.3 of the International Sporting Code states ‘If an Automobile is found not to comply with the applicable technical regulations, it shall be no defence to claim that no performance advantage was obtained.’ In addition to the Code this has long been the position of the International Court of Appeal.

«Thus, the Stewards apply the usual penalty and disqualify the car and driver from the classification of qualifying.»

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images

After what he had called the most difficult Friday of the year, Gasly said he had actually defied expectations by surviving Q1 and qualifying 13th in the first place.

«It was amazing. I thought it would be 17th and 18th, ended up in 13th so I can’t really ask for much more,» Gasly said before learning of his legality issue.

«It was an extremely tough weekend since FP1, just couldn’t get the car working anywhere. We made some changes, everything we’ve done went in the right direction so I think that’s positive. I managed to [pull off] all my laps in Q1 and Q2.

«Obviously, I wish I could be further up the grid, but with the car we had and compared to the others, I think we did the absolute best, so happy with that. We know on pure pace we should not be there.»

Speaking about his woes, Ocon said his lack of track time meant it was hard to judge where the limit of the car was, which led to him tagging the wall exiting Turn 4 and puncturing a tyre.

«Missing two sessions on a street circuit, it’s a weekend where you can’t really build the confidence, you can’t really set the car up and we’ve missed that,» he lamented.

«You are into full risk mode, and you can’t really dictate if that’s the limit or not. It wasn’t the first time I clipped the wall there, but that time luck didn’t seem to be on our side, because the tyre came off as well.»

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Ocon reveals support «from right people» after Gasly crash controversy

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Esteban Ocon has revealed he received support from the «right people» in the aftermath of his controversial clash with Pierre Gasly at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Frenchman charged to the inside of Alpine team-mate Gasly at Portier on the opening lap at the Principality, before the duo tangled to leave him out of the race and the latter heavily damaged.

Ocon bore the wrath of then-team principal Bruno Famin and, days later, it was announced he would be leaving the team at the end of the season — Haas later confirmed as his landing point for next term.

He was even threatened with suspension for the Canadian GP — a punishment that never materialised — while social media abuse prompted a statement from Ocon hitting out at the reaction.

Having confirmed that Williams team principal James Vowles, who was a key part of the Mercedes set-up the former Euro F3 champion rose through the junior ranks with, gave a phone call of support in the aftermath, Ocon told Autosport in an exclusive interview: «Of course it’s good to have support from the right people. There’s been a lot of noise, which is never a nice thing.

Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 A524

Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 A524

Photo by: Erik Junius

«When there’s noise left to right, it’s always that there is something big that has happened. And it took for sure too much proportion, especially on social media, which is what Damon Hill said…

«He said, ‘I’m glad I didn’t drive in the social media days’. That’s basically what he said. Back then, yes, you would have had a conversation with the press and then you come back to the next race, but that’s why I made the social media statement that I made — and it was important to raise my voice at the time that I did.

«There’s not much more to say on that side. Things that have happened have passed, and yeah, we move on.»

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Ocon reiterated that he immediately accepted his responsibility at the Monaco GP, while also putting into perspective the criticism levelled at him for his attempt to overtake.

«I did a mistake on the exit of the corner,» recalls Ocon. «I didn’t leave enough space on the exit. But the move early on was not too bad, it was the exit that was too tight. That’s where I misjudged the gap.

«Unfortunately, we collided. I raised my hand to the team, and apologised to the team, but from there, it should have stopped. But unfortunately it didn’t. But things have moved on since then. People have calmed down on social media. That’s good.»



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How Gasly wants to make Alpine his own F1 team

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Pierre Gasly says he is ready to be a natural leader at Alpine’s Formula 1 team after a smooth integration at Enstone against a rocky backdrop.

Having joined Alpine in 2023, Gasly’s arrival coincided with the major upheaval within the Enstone-based squad, with senior personnel changes that continued this year.

Flavio Briatore returned as an advisor to Renault CEO Luca de Meo, bringing in Hitech chief Oliver Oakes as team principal.

Against the backdrop of all those changes and a lack of competitiveness of its 2024 car, Gasly is nevertheless keeping faith in the future, having extended his contract a few weeks ago.

And with team-mate Esteban Ocon leaving Alpine for Haas in 2025, he is set to become the natural leader of the squad going forward, a process that he feels has already been taking place by itself.

«At the end of the day it’s something that was quite natural,» Gasly tells Autosport. «I’m a very driven person. I’m very focused in my work and I’m trying to be very close to the people I work with. I’m very demanding of myself and the same way goes with the people that I work with.»

«I don’t feel I’ve done anything in particular because everything is quite natural to me and that’s a bit my vision of working with the team and trying to make one, in a way.»

Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team

Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

«Obviously, I think we’ve managed to get to a very trustful and efficient place in this environment we’ve built up. And the confidence and the trust I got in the guys and they got in me just increased throughout the first season and still this year, and I think we both appreciate the efforts we’re doing on both sides.»

Gasly says Alpine has been able to give him the necessary flexibility to start thriving, respecting his need for freedom.

«The team was very good at giving me the freedom and the transparency that I need to build the trust initially and it was very open channels of communication on how they work, how I work, what they like, what I like, and trying to find a healthy place for everyone, and I think they also know the way I am,» he explains.

«I am asking questions and, I’m someone that likes information, I like to understand what’s going on. I like to understand what we’re doing on the car, which way we are doing things and why we’re doing it that way.»

«They’ve been good at being transparent and very honest in that way and always that reflection on how we can make things better.

«I think as a driver I’m a person that needs my space, I need my freedom. I have my personality. I think we all have different personalities inside the paddock. But I need my space to perform at my best and on and off the track. And I think they’ve been very good at providing this.»

Strengthening long-term relationships

At the end of June, Gasly opted to stay Alpine with the 2026 regulations in mind. Regardless of the identity of his future team-mate, with Jack Doohan mooted as the most realistic option, it is essential for him to unite the team around him, forging a strong and lasting relationship in the mould of Michael Schumacher at Ferrari or Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

«It’s no secret why you see guys like Lewis [Hamilton] working so long with the same race engineer and people sticking with people they know, because you build that trust and that communication process where no one’s afraid of telling things how they are, whether it’s good or bad,» he points out.

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Photo by: Alpine

«Over a full season there are a couple of situations where it makes you make the right choice or the right change because they understand exactly what you need and that’s where you find the last few hundredths of performance.»

«It’s not an easy time. Obviously last year wasn’t as good as we would have liked, but we still came out of it with three podiums as a team, and this year clearly is tougher on them.»

«Personally, it is not nice to be performing the way we are, but at the same time I really see the efforts they’re doing.

«I’m sure that with that type of mentality we have at the moment, there’ll be a turnaround and we’ll be able to get the performance out of the team.»



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Why ‘miles off’ Alpine didn’t prompt Gasly to give up on its F1 recovery

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Pierre Gasly could easily have been forgiven for thinking that Alpine is not the best place to make him a winner again in Formula 1.

After starting the campaign at the back of the grid, seeing key staff leave and there being talk of a potential end-of-works team status down the road, it has been a far from ideal season.

But after agreeing on a contract extension ahead of the Austrian GP that commits him to the French manufacturer, Gasly is adamant that Alpine can still deliver him everything that he wants.

Rather than thinking what has been witnessed in 2024 is a sign of where he thinks it will be over the next few years, he points to the fluctuating form of top teams like McLaren and Mercedes as evidence that performance never sits still for long in F1.

So instead of basing his final decision on how the A524 is performing now, he says what he is seeing behind the scenes – with infrastructure changes and a fresh approach – is far more critical to sealing his belief in what Alpine can offer.

«Personally, I’ve seen enough in F1 that you cannot rely on a single-car concept,» he said.

«McLaren has proved it in the last two years, and Mercedes also showed they sometimes get it right and sometimes get it wrong. It takes some time to get back to the top.

«But it is mainly in the structure, in the facilities and in the technical stuff you are bringing. That was the most important to me, so that is why I tried to pay attention [to it].

«Over the last couple of months, I tried to see the dynamic going on at the factory and, regardless of the performance on the track, which is miles from where we want to be, we are trying to see solutions and things we can bring on board.

Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team

Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

«Obviously Luca [de Meo] and Bruno [Famin] played a big part, as everyone is trying to defend what they have, and 2026 is also going to be a big change of regulations. It is why it took a bit of time before making my own decision.»

While confirmation of his new deal comes just one week after the arrival of Flavio Briatore as a consultant to de Meo, Gasly is adamant that the Italian’s presence in the team was not key to him putting pen to paper.

«No, Flavio didn’t really influence,» he said. «It was a long conversation over the last couple of months, but it was time to commit for my future. I am very happy and very excited to commit to the team, because it is also good to have some stability in my career.

«I went through Toro Rosso, Red Bull, back, and then to Alpine. But not always with a strong dynamic.

«And from what I am seeing from the team and from my relationship with the team, with Luca de Meo, with Bruno, it is going extremely well, and we have clear ambitions. I really like Luca’s ambition and where he wants to bring the team over the next few years, and I trust in his management. I am very excited to be a part of the project.»

While Briatore may only have been at Alpine a week, it has already become clear that he has been commissioned to complete a root-and-branch review of everything that the team is doing to get it back to the front.

It potentially marks a change of direction, but one that Gasly thinks was already underway back at Enstone in a bid to recover from the poor start to 2024.

Asked if Alpine was in need of an outsider to make some tough calls, Gasly said: «You have different approaches. I don’t think there is a secret person or tool that can really trigger a big change.

«We talk a lot about the main figures of a race team but, when you see how many people are working back at the factory, finding the performance, finding the gains, in the wind tunnel, the CFD, mechanically…

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

«I’ve been going quite deep in the team in all the different departments and giving my input and working quite closely with them and trying to lead them to where I want. There is a very good and transparent communication.

«It will take some time to correct the slow start to the year that we had, but I do see some good potential. And hopefully with new people, already inside the team or coming outside, with new ideas and a strong desire to make the team great again, hopefully we can make it all work.»

And with Briatore talking of a two-year target that he has laid down to get Alpine back near the front of F1, Gasly thinks it not impossible that where things are at by 2026 will be different to now.

«I am an optimistic person and a positive person, and I definitely welcome anyone who is coming to contribute positively to the team,» he said.

«He has got very clear ideas and ambitions, and he has been there and won and he has worked with the team. He is very excited to bring all these ingredients to Enstone. If we can make it in two years, I’ll be more than happy.»



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Gasly lays out Le Mans victory ambitions after 2024 race visit with Alpine

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Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly said it ‘didn’t feel right’ to attend the Le Mans 24 Hours in casual clothing as he revealed his ambition to compete in the sportscar epic.

Gasly and Alpine F1 team-mate Esteban Ocon were in attendance at last week’s 92nd running of the French endurance classic, where the Renault-owned squad made its Hypercar return with the new A424 LMDh prototype.

Frenchman Gasly had spent a large part of his teen years living in Le Mans while he was a part of the French federation’s young driver programme, and even completed his schooling in the same city.

Returning to La Sarthe as it played host to the fourth round of the 2024 World Endurance Championship on June 15-16, the 28-year-old said there was something off about watching the race from the sidelines.

Speaking to Eurosport on the starting grid, the one-time grand prix winner expressed a desire to get hold of a competitive car and fight for outright victory at Le Mans in the coming years.

“I think it’s every kid’s dream,” he said. “I watched this race since I was that tall [pointing to the ground].

“I actually lived five years in Le Mans, I studied here, and I’ve got a very close proximity with this city and this track.

Photo by: Alpine

“For sure, it will be a dream to win Le Mans one day. We will see. For now, I’m fully focused on Formula 1 and it’s not really in the pipeline.

“But definitely seeing these guys out today but just wearing normal sneakers and jeans just doesn’t feel right, so hopefully one day I will be able to be in a good car to participate in Le Mans.”

Gasly is the latest F1 driver to have publicly talked about his dream of racing in the blue riband round of WEC.

World champion Max Verstappen recently revealed that he had been contacted by a number of teams regarding an entry into Le Mans, while Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was also keen on taking part in the race with the Italian marque’s 499P LMH after watching the Prancing Horse score victory in last year’s centenary event.

Any Le Mans outing for an F1 driver in the near future, however, has been ruled out by a calendar clash, with next year’s 93rd edition falling on the same weekend as the Canadian Grand Prix.

Gasly said he has a “lot of respect” for drivers who compete at Le Mans, with a gruelling schedule and changeable weather combining to make it one of the hardest races on the motorsport calendar.

“I find it fascinating,” he said. “I talked about it. I’ve got many friends racing here actually which makes it even cooler because I’m on the grid and I’m seeing a lot of guys I raced against.

“I was saying like, ‘4am, with one hour of sleep, it’s going to be absolutely pissing down and it’s going to be very extreme’.

“I think we have got to appreciate [them]. As a racing driver, I really appreciate how hard it is and hopefully, people on TV can realise as well because it’s tough.

«To focus for an hour and a half, it’s a big challenge, but to focus for the full 24 hours and sharing the car…..

“These guys are the best to explain it, but [I have] a lot of respect for these guys.”

Alpine had shown promising pace at the start of the 2024 WEC season with its pair of A424s run by the factory Signatech team, but its Le Mans appearance was cut short after both cars suffered engine failures in the first six hours.

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Alpine not ruling out F1 driver line-up change after latest Ocon Gasly clash

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The French manufacturer nearly had both its cars out of the Monaco Grand Prix early on after Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly collided on the exit of Portier on the opening lap of the original start.

Ocon had made an optimistic lunge down the inside of Gasly on the entry to the corner and, as they exited, they clashed wheels.

The incident pitched Ocon into the air and badly damaged his car as it crashed back down – putting him out of the race. Gasly was able to continue and went on to score his first point of the season with a 10th-place finish.

Ocon later took full blame for the incident and apologised to the team. He was subsequently handed a 10-second penalty by the FIA, which will be converted to a five-place grid penalty for his next race.

Team principal Bruno Famin was clearly far from impressed about what happened, and he vented his anger from the pit wall as Canal+ interviewed him live.

He said: “We have a lot of damage on the car. The left-rear suspension is bent, the gearbox casing is damaged. We’re changing the whole gearbox, it’s a huge amount of work.

“This kind of incident is sad, it’s exactly what we didn’t want to see. Esteban’s dive was completely out of place, it was exactly what we didn’t want to see, and there will be the appropriate consequences.”

Asked how serious his response would be, one English translation of his words was: “We’re going to take drastic action.”

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

That has been interpreted by some as a direct threat about benching Ocon, for one race or more, as punishment for what was felt to have been a needless collision.

However, the exact phrase Famin used in French – ‘trancher dans le vif” – is not something that can be translated directly to English.

What comes closest is ‘cut to the chase’ or ‘cut right into the core’ – and effectively means making a definite call to get something done properly.

Famin did not issue any further public remarks about his stance on the incident or the subsequent action, beyond the official team press release on Sunday night.

There he said: “As a team, we will review and manage the incident between both cars behind closed doors. We must avoid situations that have the potential to compromise the team.”

However, Autosport understands that Famin is fuming about what happened, and thinks that this latest collision is the final straw to a situation that has been bubbling away all season.

The team has been mindful since Bahrain that its competitive situation means it cannot let slip any opportunities to score points, so it has been instructing its drivers to take extra care when racing each other.

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

It seems such policy was in play in Monaco too, as Gasly revealed afterwards that the rear car was supposed to help the one ahead.

“We had clear instructions before the race on what to do, and whoever qualified ahead, the trailing car was supposed to help throughout the race,” he said. “That was the strategy. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.”

Alarm bells have been ringing for a while though, as the pair battled ultra aggressively with each other on the opening lap of the Miami Grand Prix – where it was probably more through luck than skill that they did not actually make contact.

Having told the drivers after that incident to avoid such antics in the future, the fact that it has happened in a much worse way in Monaco has left Famin feeling that the situation cannot carry on as is.

No decision has been taken about what will be done, but it appears that he will do whatever it takes to guarantee no repeat in the future.

It is understood that a whole range of options are being considered – which could include financial penalties, team orders that totally prevent Ocon and Gasly fighting each other for position, or even the nuclear option: a change of driver line-up.

One other possibility could be for Alpine to go down the route that Mercedes did in 2016 after some worrying collisions between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

Back then Mercedes drafted up a code of conduct that both drivers agreed to abide by, and a clear warning that any indiscretion would likely result in a one-race ban being imposed.

It is understood that Famin spoke to both drivers after the Monaco GP, with Ocon clearly under the spotlight for having been the catalyst for the collision.

And it is not lost on Alpine’s senior management that the French driver has a history of troublesome times with team-mates that have resulted in contact – including with Fernando Alonso at the same team and Sergio Perez at Force India.

All eyes will now be on Enstone to see just how big a step it feels it needs to make to do what is best for the team.



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Gasly rues costly floor damage from Ocon contact in F1 Japanese GP

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The pair touched at the restart following the early red flag, with Gasly losing what the team later estimated as around 33 points of downforce, which equates to a potential lap time impact of up to 0.7-0.9 seconds.

Ocon also suffered some damage and thereafter both drivers had an even trickier race than they had anticipated with the difficult A524, eventually finishing 15th and 16th, with Gasly behind.

“We had an amazing first start and managed to move up three positions,” said Gasly.

“The second start was very good, I managed to pass Esteban and go alongside Yuki [Tsunoda], and then unfortunately I got sandwiched, with Yuki turning left and Esteban turning right.

“He [Ocon] touched me and took the whole left side of my floor off the car.

“So I was down, the team thinks, a bit less than 40 points of downforce. So after that, it was pretty much game over. I was trying to stay out there hoping for another red flag to change it.

“That was it, pretty much, just a racing incident but it cost us a lot. It was a very, very long, very long, very difficult afternoon.”

Gasly said that the Enstone team did at least make progress in Japan after introducing a package that included a substantially changed front wing.

Press Conference, Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team

Press Conference, Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team

Photo by: Motorsport Images

“On the positive side, we had the first set of upgrades which, apparently, delivered what we expected,” he said. “So that was very positive.

“We just need to crack on with these new parts and upgrades on the car. I know the team’s working really hard, we just need it. Obviously, [Suzuka was] not very representative towards what we had.

“But overall, we know we are still too slow and we’ve got to find more performance, and I know they’re working really hard on it.

“I appreciate they managed to get this first upgrade this weekend, now we need to get the next set as soon as possible.”

Asked by Autosport when the next upgrade is due he said: “Not for China. There is stuff, but obviously, it keeps evolving because we’re in a situation where we can make bigger calls.

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“So we’ll see exactly what we do. But there’ll be new parts coming in the next few races.”

Conceding it will take time for Alpine to have the chance to take a significant step forward, Gasly added: “I think mid-term we need a big thing.

«I think [we can] still improve on this for now as this sort of car concept doesn’t deliver what we expected. But in the meantime, everything we can chip away at every single weekend will get us closer to potentially finishing in the points at some point.

“So at the minute, we’re clearly at the back of that sort of second league. But every single tenth we can get as soon as possible will make a difference at the end of the year.”

Watch: F1 2024 Japanese Grand Prix Review – Normal Service Resumed



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