In a dramatic turn of events at the Belgian Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly’s promising run came to a halt as he experienced a sudden loss of power during the race, leaving him outside the points. The Frenchman, who displayed an impressive performance in the sprint race, encountered an untimely setback on Sunday, reflecting a pattern that has troubled the Alpine team.
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Pierre Gasly Demands Alpine Engine Investigation Following Mysterious Power Loss at Spa
The defining moment of the race for Gasly came in a daring overtake on Alex Albon, highlighting his racing prowess. However, such moments of brilliance have often been followed by struggles for the Alpine team lately, leaving Gasly frustrated and seeking answers for the engine malfunction that disrupted his chances at securing valuable points.
After the race, the 26-year-old driver was vocal about the issue and urged his team at Viry-Châtillon to conduct a thorough investigation to pinpoint the cause of the power loss in his A523.
“We’ve got to check our engine because we were in a decent position but then today we lost some power for some reason,” Gasly shared with Sky Sports F1.
The power deficit hindered his ability to challenge competitors, even with the aid of the DRS (Drag Reduction System), and ultimately forced him out of contention for valuable points. While acknowledging some positives from the weekend, including a top-three finish in the sprint race, Gasly emphasized the need for improved pace and performance in the second half of the season.
“We need to find some pure pace. A lot went on this weekend. So we’ll use the three, four weeks to sort of build up on the strong result from yesterday and try to come back strong in the second part of the season,” he asserted.
For Alpine, the weekend was a mix of ups and downs. Despite Gasly’s misfortune, the team managed to salvage two points finishes, a welcome relief after suffering back-to-back double DNFs in previous races. Esteban Ocon, starting from 14th on the grid, showcased an impressive recovery drive to secure eighth place, reinforcing the team’s resilience.
Ocon acknowledged the challenges faced during the weekend, with circumstances beyond their control impacting their performances negatively. Still, the French driver expressed his satisfaction with bouncing back and ending the race in the points.
“It feels good to be back in the points here in Spa after a few tough weeks where we’ve finished outside the points due to circumstances out of our control,” Ocon shared.
He praised the team for their well-executed race strategy and exciting overtaking maneuvers, making the best of the challenging situation. With the summer break ahead, Ocon expressed the team’s intention to rest and recharge before refocusing on the second part of the season.
