Pierre Gasly on Haas F1: We’re going to get them!

Pierre Gasly believes AlphaTauri will eventually get ahead of Haas by the season-finale at Abu Dhabi in November this year. The Frenchman also agreed that the 2022 season has been frustrating and dissatisfying for their team in terms of performance.

Speaking ahead of the 2022 F1 Singapore GP at the drivers' press conference, Pierre Gasly said:

“Well, he’s [team principal Franz Tost] been a bit grumpy, not so happy, like all of us, with how the season is going but I think it’s just important to stay positive and, you know, still be constructive until the end of the year because it’s obviously insignificant for some people when you’re fighting for seventh place in the team championship, but you’re talking still about a lot of money for next season. No, that’s clearly the target, at least to get Haas and you know, Alfa 19 points, considering I think we have only 33 points after 16 races. That’s a lot to ask, but nothing is impossible. We’ve seen it in the past, we just need one really strong result and it will be possible. So definitely Haas, we’re going to get them, and then yeah, we’ll see coming to Abu Dhabi what we’re fighting for.”

According to the Frenchman, team principal Franz Tost has been unhappy with the inconsistent performances like the rest of the team. Suggesting that they will eventually surpass the Haas F1 team by the end of the year, Pierre Gasly feels it is important to stay positive as there are enough races left to overtake the American team before Abu Dhabi. When the AlphaTauri team principal spoke to Sportskeeda in an exclusive during the season opener, he claimed fifth place as a realistic target. The Faenza-based team, however, is currently trailing in eighth place in the constructors' championship.

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Pierre Gasly feels Singapore GP is the most physically challenging race

Pierre Gasly believes the Singapore GP is the most physically challenging event on the calendar due to the heat and hydration levels required to cope with the atmosphere. Explaining the body fluid loss during races, the AlphaTauri driver suggested that dehydration can affect the focus during a race and requires more training.

Explaining the physical challenges of the weather during the Singapore GP, Pierre Gasly said:

“I mean, it’s definitely the hardest one of the season but it’s actually difficult to compare it with anything else, because you know, these conditions, we face it only once or twice a year. I mean, having such humidity, already when I see how many sweaty people there are in the paddock just walking around. You can imagine how we feel inside the race car with all the fireproofs, balaclava, race suits.”

“So, I will say one of the biggest challenge I find on my side is we lose so much fluid. We lose up to 2.5kg or 2.5l because it’s mainly fluids from our body- so does the impact it has on our focus and concentration. There is the physical demand but there’s also the challenge on the focus where you got to stay super alert because you’re driving full speed between the walls, need to be extremely precise where you put the car and that’s usually when it gets tough where you got to be still really at the limit of the car, playing with centimetres. Having lost quite a few pounds or litres inside your body. So yeah, that’s definitely the biggest challenge of the year.”

According to the Frenchman, racing overalls and cockpit temperatures coupled with ambient temperatures can make the race physically challenging. The weather in Singapore this year, however, is definitely cooler with respect to its ambient temperatures than in its past few editions and has been less grueling in comparison to the European races in the heat wave. Hence, Pierre Gasly might not find the night race this year as challenging in terms of heat as it has been in previous years, as he suggested.