Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda took their first win in their maiden year and home Grand Prix, after rebranding from Toro Rosso.
Pierre Gasly took his first victory in his Formula 1 career after a breath-taking Italian Grand Prix. Everything went right for the Frenchman in what was an event filled race.
Gasly spent most of the first half of the race running in the low points however, that all changed when an issue with Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen’s car brought out the safety car. While the safely car was out, front runner Lewis Hamilton and Antonio Giovinazzi came into pits, without noticing the lights specifying the pit lane was closed. Hamilton and Giovinazzi both received ten-second stop-go penalties for this.
Shortly after the safety car was brought back in, Charles Leclerc crashed his Scuderia Ferrari into the tyre wall at Parabolica, causing a safety car and then a red flag, to fix the tyre wall. Before all these events happened, Gasly had pitted, being the only one of only a handful on the grid to do so meaning he was positioned fifth at the standing restart. In first and third place was Hamilton and Giovinazzi respectively.
The first lap event after the restart, with Hamilton and Giovinazzi serving their stop-go penalties and overtakes on Lance Stroll and Kimi Räikkönen, Gasly was up into first, a position he stayed until he crossed the finish line, even with some late pressure from Carlos Sainz Jr. After a difficult year from the young Frenchman, his maiden win will go down in history.
Gasly stated: “This is amazing! I’m lost for words! It’s unbelievable! I’ve been through so many things in the past 18 months and it’s better than anything I expected. I focused hard when I re-joined Scuderia AlphaTauri.
“Day by day, race by race, we improved ourselves and got stronger and stronger, this team gave me my first podium in F1 last year in Brazil and today, these guys gave me my first win in Formula 1, in Italy, in Monza, with an Italian team. I’m not someone who gives up on anything, I always fought for everything in my life until I made it to F1.
“Today it was a great day. When I was fighting the last few laps to keep first, I knew how gutted I would have been if I had lost it, I wouldn’t have been happy with second. I gave it everything I had – it was difficult – I pushed hard at the start of the stint to not give anyone the slipstream behind, then the last five laps were so intense, I almost shunted 10 time, I was pushing so hard.
“My tyres were gone but I wanted that win so much, it still feels weird to say I’m an F1 race winner. A big thanks to all of these guys here at the track and at the factory, in Faenza and Bicester, it’s a great day for them too. Most of them are Italian and the HQ is in Faenza, Italy, so to win the Italian Grand Prix is amazing. Thank you all.”
Daniil Kyvat: “I’m disappointed not to have had the same opportunity but I’m satisfied with my race”
Daniil Kyvat’s race was unfortunately not as successful as Gasly’s. Kyvat was on a different strategy and he believes that is what marred his race is comparison.
Kyvat was able to finish in the points and gain his highest finishing position of the season so far in ninth.
“It was a very eventful race. I’m very happy for Pierre, congratulation to him and to the team, it’s a great day for us. Looking at my race, ninth was the maximum we could achieve today with the timing of the safety car and the tyre choice we went for at the start of the race,” said Kyvat.
“Everything that could have gone wrong with the strategy, unfortunately did, but at least it was the opposite for Pierre. It was amazing for him to take the opportunity and I’m happy for him. I’m disappointed not to have had the same opportunity but I’m satisfied with my race, I’m honest with myself and I think I drove a good race.”
