Gasly: 'Grid penalties difficult to accept in F1'

For the second race in succession, Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly will likely start at the back of the grid on Sunday following another agonizing grid penalty.

Misfortune did not spare the French driver in Mexico two weeks ago. After completing just handful of laps in practice, an engine failure sidelined Gasly for qualifying.

While he did see the checkered flag on Sunday, after starting at the tail end of the field, a thorough diagnosis of his Renault power unit revealed the probable need for new components.

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"It is not confirmed yet, but it looks like it," said the 21-year-old who made his Grand Prix with Toro Rosso debut in Malaysia.

"It looks like we will have to start from the back of the grid, which makes it of course pretty difficult.

"But it is something we cannot really change. We have to accept it if we take it. It doesn't change the target in the end, it just makes it a bit tougher."

Gasly admitted he wasn't expecting such a problematic entry into F1 and lamented the frustrations that have gone with it.

"It is something I was never used to having in the lower series," he said, speaking of F1's ridiculous grid penalty system.

"There, when you qualify in a certain position, you are sure to start in that position. But here, sometimes, even if I did not do qualifying in Mexico, we knew already that unless we qualified in the top three we would be starting from the back of the grid.

"It is something that is a bit difficult to accept, but that is the way it works."

Gasly likely won't be the only Toro Rosso driver with his work cut out for him in the Brazilian Grand Prix as team mate Brendon Hartley is also set for a grid drop following the failure of his engine in Mexico.

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