Formula 1

Red Bull’s Gasly annoyed by loss of track time to testing crash

1 Mins read
Pierre Gasly - Formula 1 - 2019 Winter Testing
Credit: Octane Photographic Ltd.

Pierre Gasly said his loss of track time was “annoying” after a crash sidelined the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing driver from the last hour of the second day of Formula 1 testing.

Gasly recorded the seventh fastest time at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with a lap of 1 minute 19.814 seconds, set on the mid-range C3 tyres, over 1.5s slower compared to Charles Leclerc‘s table-topping time for Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow.

The Frenchman had the potential to go quicker, but had a fast run late in the day curtailed by a crash at Turn 12 that caused rear-end damage. It proved to be a blemish on an otherwise “positive” first day in control of the new Red Bull Honda RB15.

Gasly said that he lost the rear of the car when he upshifted to fifth gear moments before the turn-in point to the right-hander near the end of the lap.

However the new Red Bull signing was comfortable with the team’s performance, as he completed 92 laps.

“The day was positive and I was really happy to be back behind the wheel after the winter break,” said Gasly.

“The first feeling is good. It was important for me to get comfortable in the car and we managed to do more than 90 laps.

This afternoon, I was pushing and out of Turn 10 I went on the power, upshifted to fifth and lost the rear of the car. It was quite annoying to lose the last hour of testing.”

Red Bull had focussed its Tuesday programme around gathering data on short runs, before Gasly’s attempt at a quicker run to find more of an outright pace.

Putting his disappointment aside, the 23-year-old believes that the day was an overall success and showed real promise for the new Red Bull-Honda partnership.

Team-mate Max Verstappen, who managed a best time four-tenths quicker than Gasly’s efforts, will resume testing duties on Wednesday.

“We tested a lot of things and got a lot of good information, there is a good potential,” he said.

“Of course we still have a lot of work to do over the next six days of testing but for me, aside from the last bit, the first day was great.”

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DTM, Formula 1 writer and deputy editor for The Checkered Flag. Autosport Academy member and freelance voice over artist.
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