Pierre Gasly was one of the most outstanding drivers in the middle zone in 2021, but the performance of his AlphaTauri at this start of 2022 does not seem to be at the same level, since the team is suffering more than expected with the new technical regulations of the queen category.
However, all is not lost for Gasly and AlphaTauri after three races. The Faenza structure will arrive at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with a major update for the AT03. And according to the French driver, these developments will give him a better idea of what to expect for the rest of the season.
“We will have some new parts on the car. It’s not that we are too slow, but we have to find solutions if we want to compete with the teams that are ahead.”
“I’m really looking forward to seeing what we bring. It’s a new car, with new rules. We know that this season is about development and that the teams that manage to do it faster than others will have a more promising season. On the other hand, I think It’s a great challenge”, explained Pierre Gasly in the preview of the Imola race.
Traditionally, the moment the European tour starts is when the teams reveal their first evolutions or improvements. But this year there will possibly be two different approaches at Imola as the sprint weekend format doesn’t help to introduce updates.
The teams will only have one hour of free practice before entering parc fermé, so the engineers and mechanics will have little time to evaluate and configure the new parts, the main reason why some teams, such as Ferrari, have preferred to wait for the arrival. of a more suitable moment.
AlphaTauri is currently in eighth place in the constructors’ standings, just ahead of Williams, who scored their first point in Australia, and Aston Martin, whose meter has yet to be released. Other teams such as McLaren and Alpine have already built up a small lead over the Italian team, although Gasly remains optimistic.
“Obviously the car will be developed over the next few weeks, but I trust the team and I trust the improvements that will come.”
“Compared to our main rivals [the Australian GP] was a bit more difficult because McLaren made a big step forward and Alpine also followed suit, but I think we can be happy to have scored points,” concluded the Frenchman.
This weekend, F1 will return to action at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, an event that will debut the sprint format in 2022 and that could mark the future of the next races for the teams that adopt the first updates of the campaign .
