Pierre Gasly was in contention to get points in the first race of the season, but his car burning in the race’s final laps spoilt it.
In the very first round of the 2022 season, Pierre Gasly had an impressive weekend. The Frenchman finished faster on the first practice session on Friday, though he couldn’t replicate it in the rest of the practice sessions. He ended in Q3 of Saturday’s qualifying.
Even his race had a perfect start. Along with Yuki Tsunoda, his team was on the verge of having a double point finish. But it all got spiralling down when in the last laps of the race, Gasly’s car caught fire.
The 26-year-old race driver had to step down and go back to the paddock, retiring himself from the race. The car catching fire was a deep concern for AlphaTauri. But Gasly claims that his team has found the problem and will solve it.
Aaarghhhh.. don’t like this Sunday bbq!
Tough one today. A lot of positives from the race though – Let’s keep it up. Thanks for all the messages, I’m all good.🙏🏼 Congrats to Charlito for the W!! @Charles_Leclerc pic.twitter.com/aKSQeRR6zf— PIERRE GASLY 🇫🇷 (@PierreGASLY) March 20, 2022
“A double points finish seemed likely, until my car stopped,” Gasly said in a press release. “The team has identified the problem. The fire meant that the mechanics had to do much more work than expected to rebuild the car for this weekend.”
Pierre Gasly wants more development
Now, with the race in Bahrain is over, Gasly will head to Jeddha for the next race this weekend. He emphasises that his car AT03 still need the required developments.
“So we have to keep working hard to understand and develop the AT03, starting this weekend in Saudi Arabia,” said the AlphaTauri driver. Last year, Gasly had an impressive night in Jeddah, where he finished P6 in the standings.
Now, it remains to be seen whether the Frenchman would be able to deliver a similar performance? He has to as he is a crucial person in AlphaTauri’s strive for a better midfield position.
An engine is a concern for Red Bull?
Three Red Bull powered cars retired from the last race due to technical failures. The question here arises against Red Bull powertrains: Is the engine developed via Honda’s IP good enough?
Both sides now claim to have solved the issues on the hand. Therefore a better result is expected from them. Otherwise, Red Bull, who are fighting for the world title, would further be pressured by rejuvenated Ferrari.
Also read: Helmut Marko thinks Red Bull may have a mistake in the car of Max Verstappen
