Giuliano Alesi‘s 2018 GP3 Series campaign came to a close at the weekend at the final round at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Over the course of the season, the Frenchman claimed one win and three further podium finishes.
The Trident driver ended the year with a sixth place in the Feature Race and tenth in the Sprint Race.
“The pace was there all weekend long. In the free practice we were very quick, then in the qualifying we also had the pace to fight for the top three. Unfortunately we had a small technical issue, which didn’t help at all, so we had to get out for the second run with ten kilos of fuel.
“In Race 1 I lost ground at the start, and didn’t really have room either to lift or stay flat, but then I managed to recuperate the race, so in the end it was positive. In Race 2 my start was good, and the car didn’t feel so bad. I think I should have pushed a bit more after the start when I had DRS.”
Alesi had been running in the podium places in the early stages of the race but found himself falling back before he had to take a five second penalty for not adhering to the Virtual Safety Car.
The Frenchman, who is part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, ended the season seventh in the championship, two places worse than in 2017 but amassed more points – although there was more races.
“It’s been a good, but a tough season in the same time. My speed was lot better than last year, but a couple of times we had troubles with technical issues and the reliability, and also I found myself in situations, which were unpredictable. Other than that I learned from my mistakes, and I want to keep improving.”
Rather than focus on the negative, Alesi is keen to focus on the positives from the year.
“Monza was a highlight, when I was competing for the win. It was a very tough, but an exciting race. I wanted to win, but it really depends on the timing and several other factors. My win in Barcelona was also a nice moment: I had three good safety car restarts, and my pace was good in the super tricky conditions.
“My overall performance has been a lot better than it was in the past. I matured a lot in general and experienced new racing situations. Sometimes it went good, sometimes bad, but I always learned from them.”
Alesi remains in Abu Dhabi to take part in the FIA Formula 2 post-season test.
“I’m going to test the F2 car. I heard it’s a great car to drive and a fantastic championship, so I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be something new and exciting.”
Although it has not been confirmed who he will be testing with as he is not taking part in the opening day of the three-day test.
