Pierre Gasly reflects one more time on an excellent race weekend in Bahrain. The Frenchman was allowed to start the Grand Prix ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, following a fantastic qualifying session on Saturday. A day later, however, Gasly saw Verstappen overtake him in the final lap. ‘I hate losing a position in the last lap,’ the Alpine driver admits candidly. Nevertheless, Gasly primarily looks back positively on the Bahrain GP.
A year ago, Alpine was in a very different position during the Bahrain GP. The French racing team was still trailing at the back of the field in early 2024, and Pierre Gasly and then-teammate Esteban Ocon finished in the eighteenth and seventeenth places respectively. Therefore, it is an even more impressive achievement by the French racing team that Gasly was able to challenge Max Verstappen a year later during the same Grand Prix.”Last year, we really hit rock bottom,” Pierre Gasly reflects. “Max even lapped us halfway through the race.” A year after Alpine’s low point, the Frenchman secured the fourth starting position in Bahrain, placing him ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen on the starting grid. Gasly’s strategy was to be a ‘thorn in the side’ for the two drivers during the Bahrain race, but he had to watch as Verstappen overtook him in the final lap.
Mixed Feelings
“When I crossed the finish line, I did so with mixed feelings. I hate losing a spot in the final lap, especially after I worked so hard during the last twenty laps to keep Max behind me,” sighs the Alpine driver. Still, Gasly is pleased with his first points finish of the year.
“It shows what a good weekend we had as a team. The car was competitive, the qualification and race were great, as were the strategy and pit stops. Even though we lost a position to Lewis Hamilton because of the safety car, it was a positive weekend.” Gasly hopes that Alpine can soon discover where exactly the good performances in Bahrain came from, in order to replicate the feat on other circuits.
