“Hello everyone,
It’s been an eventful few weeks, filled with both ups and downs. I want to take this opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings from the past month.
Firstly, before the summer break, we had a memorable moment in Spa where we gathered to honor my friend Anthoine with a track race. It was a special and emotional moment, and I’m grateful to all who participated.
Since then, our team has gone through some changes. We have big ambitions, and as a racing driver, my goal is to drive the fastest car possible. While I’m thankful for the support and service of Laurent, Otmar, Alan, and Pat, we have now moved on and are solely focused on the team going forward.
There is a positive atmosphere in the garage, with everyone working together under the leadership of Bruno Famin and Julian Rouse. I have a great relationship with Julian, as we previously raced together in Formula Renault 3.5. It’s exciting to have him back in Formula 1.
During the summer break, I had the opportunity to take home some trophies, including a third-place finish in the Spa Sprint race. It was a satisfying result and provided great motivation for the team.
Moving on to Zandvoort, we had humble expectations for the race weekend, but it turned out to be a thrilling race. I made a bold decision to box in for intermediates on the first lap, which turned out to be the right call. From there, I knew we had a chance for a strong result, and we were able to compete with the top teams on merit. Standing on the Formula 1 podium was an incredible feeling, and it meant a lot to the team.
However, Monza was a challenging weekend for us. The characteristics of the track did not favor our package, and it was a difficult time. But we learned a lot from the experience, and it will help us in the future.
Outside of racing, I enjoyed spending time with family and friends during the Monza weekend. I even had Yuki, my former teammate, over for dinner, where he cooked a special dish. It was a great opportunity to bond off the track.
In my spare time, I’ve been watching the Netflix series “Attack Player,” which showcases the mindset and preparation of athletes in different sports. I find it fascinating to compare the mindset and dedication required in different sports.
I’ve also been playing padel and golf with my brother, Paul, which has been a lot of fun. Golf is a sport I’m getting into more and more, despite its frustrations.
Looking ahead, I’m excited about what the future holds for our team. We are focused on continuing to improve and achieve more great moments on the track.
Thank you all for your support.
Best regards,
Pierre Gasly”
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Hello everyone, it’s safe to say that the last few weeks have had their fair share of ups and downs. A lot has happened, highlighting the podium in Zandvoort and then a difficult weekend in Monza. In my latest column, I am pleased to share with you my thoughts and feelings from the last month…
changes ch-ch-ch-ch
It’s been a while since I put my thoughts down in writing. And, in that time, we have had many things to do. Just before the summer holidays in Spa, we experienced a real roller coaster of emotions. As cliché as it may seem, it is true. It was an honor to gather the paddock on Thursday in Spa to remember my friend Anthoine with a track race. Looking back, it was an incredibly special moment and I was truly grateful for those who braved the terrible conditions to take part.
And then the team went through some changes.
We have big ambitions as a team and, as a racing driver, all I want is to drive the fastest car possible. I am certainly grateful for the support and service of Laurent, Otmar, Alan and Pat, but as a team, we have moved on and are focusing solely on the team from now on.
There is a positive buzz in the garage, everyone is pulling in the same direction, led by Bruno Famin and Julian Rouse, who I used to race for in my Formula Renault 3.5 days at Arden. That was in 2014 and we finished second in the championship as rookies behind Carlos Sainz! I have a great relationship with Julian and enjoy having him back in Formula 1.
Covered
It was great to take home some trophies over the summer break with third place in the Spa Sprint race. Without a doubt, it was a feeling of satisfaction and great motivation for the team ahead of the holidays.
Gasly beaming after “taking the risk at the right time” to seal third place in the Sprint
Our goal was to start well in Zandvoort, but I don’t think any of us expected the result we got there… What a race! I think we started the race weekend with humble expectations. It was a track where our competitive level would be quite reasonable and in and around the top 10, as we have been regularly this season.
Qualifying was probably a little bit below where we wanted to be, but we turned things around on Sunday. It was a long and strange race. When the rain hits your visor on the grid, you know the cards might get mixed up and that’s exactly what happened.
I made a bold decision at Turn 12 to box out on the first lap. “Box now! Checkout now! I screamed, and I didn’t really care what the pit wall said, I was coming on that lap for the intermediates. As we saw, it turned out to be the right decision.
Honestly, from there, I knew I had a great chance to achieve a great result, whether it was top five, top three or whatever, we were in the mix and well in the race, competing on merit with the Ferraris, Mercedes and Astons. I probably had some unfinished business in the back of my mind from moments like Australia slipping through our fingers in a similar scenario with the red flag restart and a short sprint to the finish line.
2023 Dutch Grand Prix: Pierre Gasly achieves first alpine podium with P3 in Zandvoort
We were lucky with Checo’s penalty, but I still had one earlier in the race for a similar infraction in the pit lane, so I think we got there on merit. In addition, we had a big fight on the track with Carlos, who I passed on the outside of Turn 1, which was effectively the step to the podium.
It’s an incredible feeling to be on the Formula 1 podium. I’ve experienced it four times and, honestly, it means a lot. The team really deserved this result and I know everyone at Enstone and Viry has had some time to look at the trophies as this is for them. We just want to experience these moments more and more and that’s what each and every one of us works towards every day.
Reality check
If Zandvoort was an immense success, then Monza was certainly a bitter descent. It was quite a painful weekend for us at Monza and I intend to get over it quickly. We expected it to be difficult because we know where the strengths of our package are and Monza’s characteristics simply do not favor us.
That said, it was a weekend full of learning and that’s always good for the future. There will be clues of a similar nature to follow this year and that means we can be better prepared for them.
Chatting with a very VIP visitor in Monza
Khaby, Vini, Oli
Outside of racing, I enjoyed my stay at Monza, mainly because it means I get to stay home in Milan for the race weekend. I spent some time with family and friends and that is always nice and a unique opportunity.
I invited Yuki to my apartment for a long-awaited dinner. I knew my place as Yuki’s sous chef, who cooked what I’ll call “Yuki fried rice”; A very specific combination of chicken, eggs, onions and rice selected by Yuki! I have to say he was pretty good and it was great to spend some time with him off the track.
As a team, we welcomed Khaby Lame and Vinicius Jr to the race and I love when different worlds intersect. Khaby is great, a real social media star and it was good to catch up with him before the race. Vini and Olivier Giroud too. I’m a huge football fan, it’s a topic I could talk about all day, so when people of that status come to visit, international stars at the top of their game, it’s a real treat!
All eyes to the East
I stayed home in Milan for a few days after the race. Right now, I’m in Attack player on Netflix. I love watching other athletes in their sports and seeing what their mindset is like and how they prepare for action. I really like watching Patrick Mahomes and learning from him what it takes to be a top-level athlete in a sport as intense as American football.
I’m sure other athletes see Drive to survive for example and maybe you say the same thing. For me, making comparisons between sports is fascinating.
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I did some padel and golf with my brother Paul to keep me going, which is always fun. I’m really getting into golf right now. While it can be frustrating most of the time, it does have its moments of joy!
In fact, I had my first eagle over the summer on a par 5. It’s strange: I never got the captain’s selection call for Luke Donald for the European Ryder Cup team. I guess there’s always a next time… I’ll have Let’s see if Lando or Carlos want a round at some point and find out who is number 1 among us F1 drivers! Watch this space…
READ MORE: Gasly and Ocon reflect on the ‘very painful afternoon’ at the Italian Grand Prix
Finally, on Wednesday we had the 2024 Pirelli tire test at Monza before returning to Enstone preparing for Singapore and Japan. It won’t be an easy two weeks in Asia. It’s an extremely challenging part of the schedule with humidity and jet lag to deal with, but that’s all part of the game.
I am determined to bounce back at Marina Bay next weekend and secure a good team result and have the number 10 car back in the points. Until then, thanks for reading and hopefully next time we’ll have even more successes to talk about.
Thank you for all your support!
Pedro
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.behind-the-scenes-with-pierre-gasly-the-alpine-racer-on-that-zandvoort-p3.6qUpmxRL7hYvwhDtDQR1J5.html
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