AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly would have been pissed if his move Sebastian Vettel in F1 British GP was penalised as Pirelli sticks with slow puncture for Daniil Kvyat.
To follow up a DNF and a P15 finish with a result as equaling your best of the season will always be rewarding, but especially in the circumstances under which AlphaTauri’s Gasly achieved this very feat last weekend in F1 British GP.
On the way to his eventual seventh-place finish, Gasly had numerous wheel-to-wheel battles with his adversaries, most notably with Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel, though his battle with the latter garnered more attention than that with the former.
The Frenchman reflected on the race in a positive light, even selling it as one of the best races he’s ever driven. “Honestly, it was amazing and probably one of my best races,” said Gasly after the grand prix. “I love the racing part with Seb and Lance.
“There were some tight battles and it wasn’t easy as I struggled to get really close to them but as soon as I saw one opportunity, I need to make it work. It was tight from the inside on Seb, I don’t know it was from the outside but I am really happy with the points.
“We were quiet but we maximised our chances like Budapest, it wasn’t easy with lots of troubles but the pace was there in qualifying. I was surprised to keep up with these guys in the race. I felt good with the car.
“I think we are making small steps with the car every weekend and if we can find a bit more, we can fight with Renault and that will be great,” summed up Gasly. The Alpha Tauri driver’s move on Vettel was successful, albeit risky to the extent that the FIA launched an investigation into the incident.
Luckily for Gasly, he got away with the manouvre, escaping a penalty. The Frenchman passed him around the outside in the right-hander but the German pushed him off-track keeping the racing line. He held on to the place, though to remain ahead of the Ferrari car.
Had he been penalised, Gasly says he would have been frustrated as he thought the overtake was fair, if not opportunistic. “I would have been pissed off if was penalised for that because you really try hard to make it work and honestly Seb didn’t leave to much space and that’s what you would expect from a champion.
“I knew that was my chance to pass him, otherwise, it would be difficult.” While Gasly was able to have a solid outing, teammate Daniil Kvyat had a tough end after a heavy crash. Initially he blamed himself but it was understood that his rear-right had a slow puncture, something which Pirelli has said as well.
Here’s where you can find the move on Lap 37: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmEsqWosuS8
Here’s the full Pirelli analysis detail
Here’s what AlphaTauri said regarding Daniil Kvyat
The story was edited by Darshan Chokhani
