Gasly has "no words" after stunning Italian Grand Prix victory

Paul Macdonald
Sunday 6 September 2020 16:21 - Updated: 16:25

Pierre Gasly was in a daze after collecting his maiden grand prix victory as a result of an incredible race in Monza.

A Charles Leclerc crash on lap 24 of the Italian Grand Prix, with his Ferrari smashing into a tyre wall at pace, led to a red flag and the race being suspended for 27 minutes before being restarted.

Lewis Hamilton picked up a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for entering the pit lane when it was closed, which he had to take after the restart and so ended up at the back of the pack.

This allowed Gasly to assume control of the race and he held off a challenge from McLaren's Carlos Sainz on the final lap to claim the first victory for a French driver since Olivier Panis in 1996.

Gasly, who was released from his Red Bull seat last season and demoted to AlphaTauri, said afterwards: "Honestly, it's unbelievable.

"It was such a crazy race, and we capitalised on the red flag, our car was fast and we had a really fast car behind us. 

"I have been through so much in the past 18 months, my first podium last year [in Brazil] and now my first win, in Monza. I struggle to realise."

Gasly added: "I've got no words. This team has done so much for me. They gave me my first podium and now have given me my first win. It's an amazing day."