After securing his first podium of 2024 in Brazil, Pierre Gasly had followed it up with a brilliant qualifying effort in Las Vegas. Starting from P3, the Frenchman’s hopes of securing another good result blew up in smoke, quite literally.
Gasly was forced to retire on lap 16 following an engine failure. Just a lap prior, the Alpine crew had ignored Gasly’s message complaining of a loss of power. They found nothing wrong with the data and urged him to keep pushing.
A detailed analysis after the race shed light on the combination of factors that led to Gasly’s DNF.
Formula Data Analysis, an account on X (formerly Twitter) highlighted that Gasly’s top speed reached 224 mph while using DRS riding the slipstream of Yuki Tsunoda. And the A524 reached a staggering 12,937 revolutions per minute (rpm) in eighth gear.
The high revs, coupled with the short final gear on the Alpine, pushed the power unit beyond its limit. The fact that he was in the hot dirty air of Tsunoda’s VCARB01, didn’t help either.
Unbelievable: the slipstream made Gasly’s Alpine self-destruct! (Not his fault)
⚫️Lap 13 (Reference)
Lap 14 (Failure)He got a strong tow from TSU, reaching 361km/h under DRS: the engine reached 12937rpm in 8th gear, then exploded! (Speed dropping, no power afterward)
The… pic.twitter.com/pSIL24Wwmp
— Formula Data Analysis (@FDataAnalysis) November 25, 2024
Overall, it was a disappointing outing for Gasly and Alpine, who were looking to solidify their hold on P6 in the Constructors’ standings. Even the 28-year-old’s teammate, Esteban Ocon, had a weekend to forget, finishing P17, a lap down.
Alpine could take another hit in Qatar
Engine failures mid-race have become increasingly rare in F1, which underscores the challenges Alpine has faced with its Renault power units in recent years. The team has already decided to move on, and has signed a new deal with Mercedes to become a customer team from 2026.
The extent of the damage to Gasly’s power unit remains unclear. He may require a new Internal Combustion Engine, a new Energy Store, or both. Unfortunately, any of these scenarios would result in a grid penalty at the next race in Qatar.
Pierre Gasly has engine problems and has retired from the race.#LasVegasGP @AlwaysRaceDay pic.twitter.com/vHC0GHnhfR
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) November 24, 2024
The timing of this setback couldn’t have been worse for Alpine. The team is locked in a tight battle for sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, competing against Haas and Red Bull’s sister team, RB.
Gasly’s retirement in Vegas dropped Alpine to seventh, trailing Haas by just one point. With only two races remaining, Alpine will need strong performances from both its drivers to reclaim sixth place in the standings.
