Pierre Gasly clashed with former teammate Max Verstappen during the Japanese GP. Both fought for seventh place in the second phase of the race. The Frenchman ultimately came out on top; with a lead of just three-tenths, he crossed the finish line ahead of the Dutchman. Afterwards, he spoke of a ‘perfect’ weekend, in which he squeezed the maximum out of his remarkably competitive Alpine car.
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“The top six was out of reach, but at the same time we finished only seven seconds behind Lewis (Hamilton, ed.),” an elated Gasly reacted to the media in Suzuka. “That is a very positive sign for me. Moreover, the gap to Liam (Lawson, ed.), who finished ninth, was no less than nineteen seconds. So we clearly belonged to the better group. And yes, other than that, it was just a very intense race.”
The highlight was perhaps the fierce battle with his former teammate. During the previous GP in Shanghai, Gasly was also able to battle Verstappen, where he also finished ahead of the Dutchman. In Japan, the mutual struggle continued. “We all know that Max (Verstappen, ed.) never gives up,” Gasly grinned. “For 28 laps, he really turned up the pressure. Moreover, we were strongest on a number of specific parts of the circuit, so that made it certainly no easy task to defend.”
‘That’s when I get the best out of myself’
“Overall, I think we managed it very well, but that didn’t make it any less intense,” Gasly concluded. “But you don’t get the chance to fight with a four-time world champion every weekend, so in that respect, I’m glad I was in that position,” he added. “I really enjoyed it, including that extra pressure. Of course, there’s more at stake when you know who you’re fighting against, but I also know that I get the best out of myself in such races.”
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Seventh place in Japan marked the third consecutive points finish for Gasly and the second time he finished above Verstappen. The 30-year-old driver now occupies eighth place in the drivers’ standings; a significant rise compared to 2025, when Alpine was still at the back of the field in Formula 1. The French team now seems to have firmly settled behind the top teams, mainly thanks to Gasly. “I am very satisfied,” he concluded. “The pace was good and we were clearly faster than the rest of the midfield.”
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