Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel is doing his customary post-season driver rankings for the Dutch publication Formule1.nl. And despite there being many top performers from the 2024 season, the 52-year-old has chosen to place Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in the top three of his list.
Despite the A524 not being the fastest or the most stable package on the grid, the #10 driver drove brilliantly and got himself into the top 10 of the drivers’ standings at the end of the year. Because of how well Gasly performed, Coronel believes that the Frenchman deserves another shot with a front-running team.
“Given the circumstances, he performed at his best. I also think Gasly really belongs on a better team now. Put him in a top car! I would like to see that. He once lived there, of course, at Red Bull. Then it came too early, now he’s ready for it,” he wrote. Gasly was drafted into the second Red Bull seat during the 2019 season.
São Paulo 2024
Traiçoeira
Max teve sorte. Sorte? Sim. Quando a oportunidade encontra o preparo.
Ocon e Gasly são guerreiros. Se tivessem carros vencedores…
Russell limitado.
Ferrari apagou.
Tsunoda faz a Honda sorrir.
Lawson é F1.
McLaren precisa ser mais sólida. pic.twitter.com/bPDTDph6tu
— F1Corradi ™ (@f1corradi) November 3, 2024
However, it was perhaps too quick of an ascension for Gasly and poor results forced Red Bull’s hand to sack him mid-season. But since then, Coronel believes that Gasly has matured into a top contender and deserves a second chance at wins, podiums, and perhaps even an opportunity to fight for titles.
How Gasly orchestrated Alpine’s resurgence in 2024?
The Enstone-based team started the 2024 season on the worst note possible. Standing rock bottom in terms of performance, the French team were also in a management crisis with many instrumental figures leaving the side or being given the axe.
It all stabilized with the return of Flavio Briatore to the team. Briatore had led the team to many championship wins in the past when they operated as Benetton and Renault.
And his return along with Gasly’s brilliant performances on the track helped turn the fortunes of the team around. Gasly and his teammate Esteban Ocon’s double-podium heroics at São Paulo helped Alpine to finish P6 in the standings at the end of the year.
