Gasly happy to deliver one final trophy to Alpine's departing chiefs

40

Pierre Gasly hopes his podium result in Saturday's sprint event at Spa will have helped Alpine's now former leaders depart the team with "positive memories".

The French outfit rocked the paddock on Friday at the Belgian Grand Prix when it announced that it would part ways after the race weekend with team principal Otmar Szafnauer, long-standing sporting director Alan Permane and chief technical officer Pat Fry.

The reckless timing of the decision, which has left the Enstone squad virtually rudderless, cast a big shadow on the outfit right in the middle of a Grand Prix weekend.

It was anything but business as usual for those working in the garage and for the team's drivers, but in the end both Gasly and teammate Esteban Ocon delivered a solid performance in Saturday and Sunday's races.

Read also: Alpine's avalanche: Last one to leave turns off the lights

Ocon finished eighth in the Belgian Grand Prix, but Gasly's remarkable run to third in the Sprint event behind Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri was an emotional and happy moment amid the turmoil.

"We've tried to stay focused on the job this weekend," Gasly said.

"I'm glad we managed to get a trophy, even if it is a small one on the last weekend for Alan, Otmar and Pat to make some positive memories.

"I had to focus on what I do on the track and try to bring the best from the car every single session. That is what I was focusing on."

Gasly moved to Alpine from AlphaTauri, convinced that he finally had an opportunity to take his career to the next level.

The team's implosion last weekend is will likely impact its functioning at some level, which will add another level of complexity to Gasly's situation.

But the 27-year-old hopes that a calm atmosphere prevails moving forward to allow Alpine to operate smoothly while it deals with its management issues and "resets".

"Obviously, everyone is disappointed with the start of the year, we haven't performed or made the progress we should have.

"I joined just six months ago, I don't know what the past history of the team is and it's also quite a lot of changes for me just coming into the team, relying on new people and then there are all these changes.

"Everybody needs to sit down and process what has happened, refresh and start afresh."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.