Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda go into the last part of the final triple header of the season at the new for Formula One, Qatar Grand Prix, on the back of a mixed Sao Paulo Grand Prix with Pierre Gasly performing valiantly and Yuki Tsunoda again underperforming.
It was another brilliant performance from Gasly in Brazil, not quite matching his podium from 2019 but nevertheless a solid seventh place for the Frenchman. Gasly’s points in Brazil keep the team in the fight for fifth in the Constructors’ championship. Fifth in the Constructors’ would be a huge achievement for the Italian team.
Going into this weekend at the new for Formula One, Losail International Circuit, Gasly is very interested to see how the fast and flowing circuit will suit an F1 car, the Frenchman is expecting it to be a physical weekend under the floodlights.
“After Brazil, we are still in the fight for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship but it was a pretty tough weekend. It was nice to be back in Sao Paulo and all the media were keen to remind me that I finished second at Interlagos the last time we were here.
“No podium this time, but after poor starts in both Sprint Qualifying and the main race, to manage to come back to seventh and enjoy some good overtaking moves was a positive result and a boost as we head to the next round. I’ve driven the Qatar track on the simulator and watched the MotoGP races from there.
“On the sim it looks really interesting as it seems there are a lot of high speed, fourth, fifth and sixth gear corners and I think it will be quite physically demanding because of all the high-speed sections. It’s the sort of track I like, with lots of fast corners where you can really push the car to the limit of its aero abilities, so it should be very interesting.”
“I will be on equal terms” – Yuki Tsunoda
For rookie Yuki Tsunoda, Brazil was another tough weekend, the Japanese driver struggled in the race eventually crossing the line in a disappointing fifteenth. Tsunoda’s hunt for a points finish at Brazil was brought to an abrupt halt, after the rookie suffered significant damage to the front of his car after a late dive-bomb move down into Turn One on Lance Stroll. The move was too late and very costly for the rookie.
Qatar this weekend offers Tsunoda a rare opportunity, to be on a level playing field with the rest of the grid. With it being the first time Formula One have ever raced at Qatar, no one knows what to expect or how the cars will need to be set-up, giving Tsunoda his best chance this season potentially to demonstrate his talent.
The Japanese youngster is pleased to be on equal terms with the rest of the field this weekend, with the rookie believing the circuit’s layout is easier than the previous two rounds.
“I enjoyed my first visit to Brazil and discovering another new track was very interesting. Interlagos is certainly unique with a great atmosphere and fans as passionate as in Mexico. But on the track, things did not go as smoothly as I would have wanted.
“Although I think I did quite well in terms of adapting to the track, it was quite tricky to go into Qualifying after just an hour of practice. Then in Sprint Qualifying I got a bad start and in the actual Grand Prix it was really difficult to drive the car because of the damage from the incident with Stroll.
“So, I’m pleased that I can try and do better right away with Qatar in just a couple of days. In some ways I expect Qatar might be the easiest of these three races for me in the sense that I will be on equal terms with the rest of the field as no one has ever raced there before. On top of that, the actual layout looks more straightforward than Mexico and Brazil so should be easier to learn quickly.”
