F1 star admits he expected MORE from team in 'challenging' year

Gasly, Pérez, Red Bull, Alpine, Australia — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 News & Gossip

F1 star admits he expected MORE from team in 'challenging' year

One driver has reflected on a rollercoaster season behind the wheel

Shay Rogers

Tuesday 5 December 2023 17:57

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Despite a tricky season Pierre Gasly believes that he and Alpine have worked well together and laid the foundations for a positive future.

After the Formula 1 commission revealed that the Renault power unit in the back of the Alpine was 30hp down on its rivals in August, it’s easy to see why the team have struggled at various stages of the season.

High-speed circuits are a particular issue, while tracks like Zandvoort, where Gasly secured a podium, offer slight respite for a team on the back foot.

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A crash at the Australian Grand Prix between Gasly and new team-mate Esteban Ocon threatened to derail their relationship early doors, but the two recovered and operated in tandem, despite costing the team a double top-five result.

Pierre Gasly took his time to get used to new machinery with Alpine

Alpine struggled at a whole host of high-speed circuits in 2023

Gasly: Pleased with the evolution

"I see two sides," Gasly said. "On one side, a challenging year because we were clearly not at the pace that we expected as a team.

"We thought we would be fighting for better positions. But on the other side, very pleased with the way I've worked with the team.

"It was my first season, and I went into (pre-season testing) in Bahrain not really knowing how the team works, into a new car, and it takes a bit of time before you find your feet inside a new organisation.

Pierre Gasly believes that 2024 has the potential to be a better year now he is comfortable within the team

"When I look back, I'm feeling so much better now in the car, with the way we're working, and the understanding with the guys, and I'm really pleased with the evolution we have had through the whole season.

"I'm definitely confident we will start with much better foundations from next year onwards."

There are less than three months before the 2024 season kicks off in Bahrain, with Gasly and Alpine eager to deliver an improvement on their sixth-place constructors' finish from 2023.

Being jammed in the midfield battle is not where the team expect to be, and 2024 could play host to some surprising improvements from the Enstone-based outfit.