Pierre Gasly admitted it was frustrating to be able to make it through into Q2 for the Mexican Grand Prix but not then be able to go on and challenge for a place inside Q3, as he knew he would be starting at the back of the grid in any case following his grid penalties following another Honda engine change.
The Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda driver felt he should have been even quickly had Lance Stroll not made a mistake ahead of him, but ultimately it did not really mean anything as the engine penalty had consigned him to twentieth and last on the grid before the session had even begun.
“I think our Qualifying today was good, but our main focus was on tomorrow’s race after the penalty we have,” said Gasly. “I was really happy with Q1, I did a good lap which could have been better if Stroll didn’t make a mistake.
“To get through to Q2 was great but it was frustrating not to be able to compete.”
Gasly knows that Toro Rosso will have to be smart with their strategy and that he will need to manage his tyres perfectly if he is to make up enough time to break into the top ten, but he is hopeful that there will be some exciting battles on track.
“As we saw high degradation on Friday, the tyre management will be key tomorrow, and we have to be smart with our strategy,” said the Frenchman. “I felt good with the car and starting last tomorrow I hope I can have some exciting battles on track.”
