Pierre Gasly felt the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix performance and result was not the way he would have wanted to leave Scuderia AlphaTauri, with nothing seemingly going his way at the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday evening.
The Frenchman will make the switch to the BWT Alpine F1 Team in 2023 but struggled throughout the weekend in his final race with the team, finding himself eliminated in Q1 on Saturday and finishing only fourteenth in the race on Sunday.
Despite the disappointing in Abu Dhabi, which he felt did not reflect the time Gasly spent at the team and heralded one race victory and two further podiums, the Frenchman says they can celebrate the good times and look back with pride at their achievements.
“I don’t have many things to say about the race, we tried something different today, but it didn’t seem to work,” said Gasly. “It was my last with Scuderia AlphaTauri, and sadly tonight didn’t reflect our time together.
“I will remember everything I have experienced over the years with the team, my first race in Formula 1, first podium and first win. I know that I am a better driver today because of them and I am so grateful for all these achievements.
“I want to say a massive thank you to everyone I’ve worked with, they’ve all done a tremendous job. We’ve had three amazing podiums and now it’s time to celebrate these unforgettable memories together.”
“It’s been a tough year for the team” – Yuki Tsunoda
Team-mate Yuki Tsunoda enjoyed a better race in Abu Dhabi, but eleventh was all the Japanese driver could achieve, with tyre life costing him the chance of a top ten finish on Sunday.
Tsunoda admitted that 2022 has been a tough one for AlphaTauri, but he was full of praise for his Alpine-bound team-mate, who he feels he has learned a lot from across the past two seasons.
“I did the best I could out there today, so I have to be pleased with that,” said Tsunoda. “Unfortunately, the tyre just dropped off at the end and I couldn’t keep up the pace and make it into the points.
“It’s been a tough year for the team, but on a positive side I’ve learnt a lot, especially from Pierre. It’s been a pleasure to work with him over the last two years and I want to say thanks to him for everything he’s done for both me and the team.”
