Pierre Gasly was surprised by the result of his old team Red Bull after qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix. The Alpine driver qualified seventh, ahead of the drivers from the Austrian team. “They were still in third place in Melbourne,” Gasly noted.
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Pierre Gasly seemed quite surprised after qualifying in China, as he sits in seventh place ahead of Max Verstappen (P8) and Isack Hadjar (P9). “In Melbourne, Red Bull was still in third place and close to McLaren. We don’t think we are at that level at the moment. It seems they are falling back a bit in China,” Gasly said in the paddock in Shanghai.
‘Progress made’
Last season, Alpine finished tenth in the constructors’ championship with only 22 points. This year, the French team is racing with a Mercedes engine instead of their previous own Renault power unit. According to Gasly, clear steps have been taken. “We have made progress and I am quite satisfied with what I have shown so far this weekend. It seems we have the speed to fight for points.”
At the same time, the Frenchman emphasizes that the development of the car throughout the season will be crucial. “This season, the field can change quickly. That’s why it’s important that we keep improving and hopefully take steps faster than the competition. We must ensure we stay on track for the rest of the season,” Gasly indicated.
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‘Maintaining momentum’
Gasly thinks Alpine now understands how the new car works better than during the season opener in Australia. “If we were to go back to Melbourne now, I think I would probably be in Q3 and get a better result. It was the first race with these cars and we had to learn many new things. As a result, we performed below our level.” However, the Frenchman still sees room for improvement. “There are still a few points we need to work on, but this weekend we have already taken small steps with a few adjustments,” the former Red Bull driver concluded.
In the sprint race, the result was disappointing according to Gasly, and therefore he thinks the race shows where Alpine really stands. The Frenchman hopes the team can maintain the form from qualifying. “The speed is definitely there, but we also know we can still find a lot of time. Qualifying is all about one lap, while the race is a completely different story. Hopefully, we can maintain the momentum tomorrow and get a good result out of it,” Gasly concluded.
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