Gasly Reflects on Vegas Heartbreak After Promising P3 in Qualifying

Pierre Gasly experienced a weekend of highs and lows at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with the Alpine driver retiring despite starting from an impressive P3 in qualifying. The Frenchman expressed his frustration as a strong Friday showing turned into disappointment on race day.

From High Hopes to Disappointment

Gasly’s standout performance in qualifying marked a positive moment for Alpine, following their recent double podium finish in Sao Paulo. However, his fortunes took a sharp downturn during the race.

After losing positions to faster cars like Max Verstappen and the McLarens, Gasly remained competitive in the fight for points until a power unit failure abruptly ended his race.

“It’s a very tough one to take,” Gasly shared. “We went from such a high yesterday to the worst possible outcome today. I think we were in for a good fight with Yuki [Tsunoda] and others for valuable championship points, so it’s incredibly disappointing.”

Taking Positives Amid Frustration

Despite the heartbreak, Gasly acknowledged the positives from Alpine’s performance at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, which highlighted the team’s potential.

“I’m pretty pleased with the performance overall,” he reflected. “It’s frustrating right now, but yesterday showed we have the pace to compete. We’ll take that momentum to Qatar and aim for a strong result there.”

Alpine’s Tough Weekend

Gasly’s retirement was not the only setback for Alpine. Teammate Esteban Ocon suffered his own challenges, finishing 17th after a poorly timed pit stop error, which saw him called in before his crew was ready.

The result left Alpine without points for the weekend, causing the team to drop from P6 to P7 in the constructors’ standings. Haas now holds sixth place with 50 points, while Alpine trails by one, sitting at 49 points.

Looking Ahead to Qatar

With the disappointment of Las Vegas behind them, Alpine is turning its focus to the next race in Qatar. Gasly remains motivated to deliver better results.

“We had high hopes for this race, and it’s hard to swallow the result,” Gasly admitted. “But we’re already looking ahead, ready to fight for more in the remaining races.”

As the season nears its end, Gasly and Alpine aim to regroup and showcase their potential, keeping their eyes on reclaiming lost ground in the championship.