Pierre Gasly says a strong weekend in Monaco is the aim for the BWT Alpine F1 Team, with points the target for both drivers around the streets of the principality.
The Frenchman says the performance Alpine were able to show around the Miami International Autodrome three weeks ago was good, and it is important for the team to build on that this weekend for the Monaco Grand Prix, the closest race Gasly now has as a home race now the French Grand Prix has dropped off the calendar once more.
Gasly says there is satisfaction and rewards by getting the Monaco circuit right, and Alpine must be looking to maximise their weekend and score good points with both cars.
“I’m really looking forward to racing in Monaco as it’s one of the biggest and most rewarding challenges of the season for us drivers,” said Gasly. “Without a French Grand Prix on the calendar, this race is as close to France as we get during the year and the support from the fans in Monaco is very special.
“The Monaco Grand Prix is world famous as it’s one of the most prestigious races in the world of motorsport and a race every driver wants to succeed in during their career.
“As a team, we’ll aim to keep improving and build off from our promising performance last time out and aim to come away from Monaco with the best result possible, which, must be strong points from both cars.”
Gasly says the Monaco circuit is one of the hardest on the calendar to get right, and it is important to build confidence across the weekend in order to have strong pace in both Qualifying and the race.
“I would say Monaco is one of the most difficult laps on the calendar,” he added. “It’s a track which requires perfection as you are on the limit for just over 60seconds, millimetres from the walls, with no room for any mistake.
“Monaco is all about building confidence through the three practice sessions and then having confidence in the car to push in Qualifying on Saturday.
“With overtaking so difficult in the race, Qualifying is very important so the target, as a minimum, is reaching Q3 and putting ourselves in the best position to score points.”
“We are eager to get back out there and show our pace” – Esteban Ocon
Team-mate Esteban Ocon echoes Gasly’s thoughts, feeling Alpine need to have a smooth weekend in Monaco as they did in Miami.
Ocon admits Alpine have had several weekends this season where the team have not performed as strongly as they would like, and he says it is important they do not have any more of those kinds of weekend between now and the end of the season.
And the Frenchman says everyone within the Enstone-based team is keen to show they can build a car that can compete with the front running teams within the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
“While our thoughts remain with Emilia-Romagna, our racing focus turns to Monaco,” said Ocon. “Like Miami, we need to ensure that we have a smooth weekend and bring home deserved points.
“We’ve had a couple of disappointing race weekends this year so the team is focused on executing better races across the board. We are eager to get back out there and show our pace and show that we can compete with some of the top teams.
“Monaco is always an exciting weekend, one of the highlights of the season, and we will be looking to put on a good show for the fans.”
Ocon is excited to get out on track and find what kind of pace Alpine have around the Monaco streets as he bids to score points for only the third time this season.
“Personally, I’m looking forward to taking on this famous street circuit and seeing how much performance we can find from the car on the streets of Monte Carlo,” he added. “The layout is unique in the fact that it is the shortest track of the year with its narrow streets, tight corners, and limited time for drivers to go to full throttle.
“The race is always such a spectacle, and the event is so prestigious with a lot of history, so it’s always an intense but amazing experience. We are excited to be racing again after two weeks and we feel ready as a team for Monaco.”
