Pierre Gasly has jokingly claimed that he went “through all the emotions” on his way to a P9 finish at the 2022 Australian GP.
The Frenchman managed to overcome his team’s poor qualifying to score for a second consecutive race this season.
Speaking to F1.com following the race, Gasly said:
“Clearly, we had to fight hard for it, especially with Lance. I must say I enjoyed the battle; it was the most entertaining moment of the race. I went through all the emotions. It was pretty intense on a track like this, but in the end, I got the best of him.”
At the start of the race, Pierre Gasly jumped from 11th on the grid to ninth after overtaking the slow-starting pair of Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso.
The 26-year-old managed his tires well through a long first stint but felt his chances of an even better finish were ruined by an ill-timed safety car.
He said:
“I had a really good start, managed to pass two cars in the first lap, was running in a good position in P9, boxed and then we got slapped by the Safety Car like in Saudi. Pretty upset – we dropped to P14 – but yes, we stayed focused and managed to finish in P9."
“I’ve got nothing to hide” – Pierre Gasly’s take on the FIA’s new rules on jewelry
Pierre Gasly also stated the FIA’s controversial new rules on jewelry and piercings doesn’t have an impact on him.
The Alpha Tauri driver said he doesn’t have an opinion on the matter. However, he jokingly welcomed the FIA to check his body in order to ensure compliance with the new rules.
Speaking to Express UK, he said:
“If they want to check my a***, feel free, I've got nothing to hide. My c**k, everything. If that makes them happy, feel free."
Ahead of the 2022 Australian GP, the race director’s notes for the weekend urged drivers not to wear jewelry and piercings during the competition. A warning against wearing non-fireproof underwear was also issued.
Some feel that the FIA's new stance on jewelry unfairly targets a few drivers, including seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.