The Italian Grand Prix at Monza turned out to be a tough pill to swallow for Pierre Gasly and his Alpine team, leaving them with a bitter taste of disappointment. Gasly and his teammate Esteban Ocon found themselves in a challenging situation right from the qualifying session, where they were both eliminated in Q1, securing 17th and 18th positions on the grid.
The race didn’t offer much solace either, with Gasly narrowly avoiding being lapped by the dominant Max Verstappen as he finished in 15th place. Meanwhile, Ocon’s car had to be retired due to a steering lock issue, adding to the misery of the Alpine team.
Gasly, ever the realist, acknowledged that Alpine had anticipated difficulties at Monza, but that didn’t make the weekend any less painful. “It’s been super painful,” Gasly lamented. “I don’t think we have ever had such a lack of competitiveness compared to our rivals.”
The frustration was palpable in Gasly’s words as he continued, “We knew straight away from the start of the season that it would be a painful one. But yeah, it was clearly very difficult out there.”
This dramatic contrast in performance came just a week after Gasly’s remarkable podium finish in Zandvoort, where he outpaced the Ferraris that were now battling for the podium themselves. It underscored Alpine’s ongoing struggle on circuits with lower downforce, a problem that Gasly hopes the team can dissect and address before the 2024 season.
While reports of Alpine’s power unit being 30bhp behind their rivals’ engines could partially explain the performance gap, Gasly believes there’s more to it. “The most important thing is really to understand and quantify where that drop of performance is coming from and come back next year with a stronger package,” he emphasized.
Gasly pointed out the stark difference in performance by saying, “Because I’m going past Carlos [Sainz] last week on track, same tyres, on pure pace, and this weekend he’s standing on the podium, and I’m almost a lap down.”
“It’s a very power-sensitive track,” Gasly acknowledged, “but still, it seems like it’s not only that; it’s the whole package, which has got to be better for this track.”
He expressed optimism about future improvements, stating, “I think we will have another update coming quite soon. There is a clear trend in terms of the type of tracks where we are more and less competitive. And I think that’s something we need to work on for next year, to just have a package, a more rounded package that works everywhere.”
Esteban Ocon, Gasly’s teammate, echoed the sentiment that this challenging weekend in Monza shouldn’t overshadow the progress Alpine has been making behind the scenes. Ocon emphasized that it’s crucial not to lose sight of their goals and stay focused on improvement.
“I’ve had the worst ones in the past,” Ocon remarked, demonstrating his resilience. “It’s not because we have a bad weekend that we are going to give up.”
He sees this weekend as a learning opportunity, saying, “I think it’s a good weekend in terms of learning and looking at the difficulties that we had. There’s going to be plenty of analysis, and we have a week when we’re not racing, so we can focus exactly on what went wrong and come back stronger in Singapore.”
In the ever-evolving world of Formula 1, Alpine knows that understanding their weaknesses is the first step towards success. Gasly and Ocon’s determination to bounce back is a testament to their team spirit and commitment to improving their performance on every type of track.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Monza F1 Performance
Q: What were Pierre Gasly’s and Esteban Ocon’s qualifying positions at the Monza Grand Prix?
A: Pierre Gasly qualified in 17th place, while his teammate Esteban Ocon secured the 18th position during the qualifying session for the Monza Grand Prix.
Q: How did Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon perform in the race at Monza?
A: In the race, Pierre Gasly finished in 15th place, narrowly avoiding being lapped by the race winner, Max Verstappen. Esteban Ocon’s race was cut short due to a steering lock issue, leading to his car’s retirement from the race.
Q: Why did Pierre Gasly find the Monza weekend “super painful”?
A: Gasly found the Monza weekend “super painful” because of the lack of competitiveness compared to their rivals. Despite expecting challenges at Monza, the extent of their struggles was disheartening, making it a tough weekend for the Alpine team.
Q: How did Alpine perform in the previous race at Zandvoort?
A: In the previous race at Zandvoort, Pierre Gasly achieved a remarkable podium finish, outpacing the Ferraris that were competing for a podium spot.
Q: What is the main concern for Alpine’s performance at Monza?
A: Alpine’s main concern regarding their performance at Monza is understanding the reasons behind their drop in performance. While there are reports of their power unit being 30bhp behind rivals, Gasly believes it’s not just about power and that the entire package needs improvement for such power-sensitive tracks.
Q: How does Pierre Gasly plan to address Alpine’s performance issues for the next season?
A: Pierre Gasly emphasizes the importance of understanding and quantifying the drop in performance to come back stronger in the next season. He mentions the possibility of updates and a focus on creating a more well-rounded package that performs well on various types of tracks.
Q: How does Esteban Ocon view the difficult weekend at Monza for Alpine?
A: Esteban Ocon sees the challenging weekend at Monza as an opportunity for learning and improvement. He emphasizes that setbacks should not deter the team’s spirit and determination to progress in Formula 1.
More about Monza F1 Performance
- Italian Grand Prix at Monza – Formula 1
- Pierre Gasly – Formula 1 Profile
- Esteban Ocon – Formula 1 Profile
- Alpine F1 Team Official Website
- Max Verstappen – Formula 1 Profile
- Zandvoort Circuit – Formula 1
- Carlos Sainz – Formula 1 Profile
- Singapore Grand Prix – Formula 1
6 comments
Gasly & Alpine – Highs & lows. Zandvoort podium, Monza mystery. F1 drama!
Monza, tough weekend for Alpine. Gasly & Ocon struggle. Need 2 fix it 4 nxt yr!
Gasly did gr8 @ Zandvoort, now, Monza mess. Let’s c what Alpine do!
Alpine’s pwr unit lagging, bt it’s more than that. Whole pkg needs help, period.
Alpine, Monza struggle. Gasly = “super painful.” Hope 4 better tech next time!
Ocon stays +ve, Monza ≠ end. Analyze, improve, & comeback stronk!