"We have had several problems with the car"- Pierre Gasly identifies these two reasons for AlphaTauri's poor show in first half of 2022 F1 season

Despite the significant progress that AlphaTauri made last season with some truly exceptional drives by Pierre Gasly, the 2022 season has been rather underwhelming for the team. The young Frenchman identified the car's significantly less competitive qualifying pace as one of the main reasons why AlphaTauri has been unable to match up to expectations this season. He admitted that the progress made by the likes of Alfa Romeo, Alpine, and Haas over the course of the season only highlights the struggles of the team.

As reported by Motorsport, Pierre Gasly gave an explanation for AlphaTauri's disappointing season thus far:

"The first is linked to the loss of competitiveness in qualifying, a front on which we were doing very, very well last year. I was constantly in Q3, in Q1 I only needed one set of tires to pass the cut, and this is the first reason that conditioned us this season, that is, we are not competitive enough in qualifying and this makes the races uphill. The second is linked to the step forward made by our direct rivals, such as Alfa Romeo, Alpine, and also Haas. Last year we were fighting for the top positions among the mid-ranking teams, I don't know how many times I qualified alongside Charles (Leclerc).”

Detailing all that has gone wrong so far this season, Gasly said:

“This year the situation is very different, and in addition to not being very competitive we have had several problems with the car, even stupid things, like the bottom that breaks in the pre-grid laps or during the race, then contacts, accidents, mechanical problems, problems with the brakes, even a problem with the time trial in Monaco that made me miss the finish line for a second, many small things that, however, affect the balance sheets for the weekend.”

Pierre Gasly admits he feels ready to race for a top team

AlphaTauri announced last month that Pierre Gasly is set to remain with the team for the 2023 season, but the Frenchman believes he is truly ready for the big leagues.

When asked if he feels ready to race for the top-team, the AlphaTauri driver said:

“Yes, now I am much more complete, I think I have shown that with a mid-class car I was able to grow and achieve good results, and with all the respect I have for AlphaTauri, there will always be a gap with a top team. We can reach a podium, even a victory we have shown that it is not impossible, there was a one percent chance and we did it.”

“Last year I think it was a very consistent season, and that's what I wanted to show, which is that I am able to always be there, in qualifying and in the race, able to bring points to the team. And it was the most successful year as a driver in AlphaTauri, and I think it was important to prove it, since I returned to this team, we have put together a series of incredible races, days to remember.”

Red Bull announced a contract extension for Sergio Perez until the end of the 2024 season; making it very likely that Pierre Gasly will look outside the Red Bull family for his next steps.