Gasly ecstatic: Three tenths off Bahrain pole is ‘quite mental’

©Alpine

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Pierre Gasly’s eyes gleamed as brightly as Bahrain’s floodlights after his remarkable run to P5 in qualifying that left the Alpine driver just 0.3s off pole and ahead of some of F1’s biggest names.

Elevated to fourth on the grid after Kimi Antonelli’s penalty, Gasly was riding a wave of disbelief and determination, ready to tangle with the titans on Sunday.

The performance marks a dramatic turnaround from a year ago, when Alpine was languishing at the back of the field. Gasly, reflecting on the transformation, expressed pride in how far the team has come.

“Twelve months ago, we were absolutely nowhere, we were P20 and struggling, so when I see what I could do today with the car, it just makes me very happy and very proud of what the guys have done so far,” he told Sky Sports F1 after the session.

“The car was really impressive, the front grip was very strong... those last few runs we really managed to nail it and it was so special.”

Despite entering qualifying with modest expectations, Gasly found another gear in Q3, surprising even himself.

“Before qualifying we thought we’d be in the fight for P10 or P9 at best, but you always give it your best shot and I really managed to improve from Q1 to Q3,” he explained.

“Three tenths off pole is quite mental, it was a very good day for us as a team… now we need those first points.”

‘We’ll Try to Hold On’

With Lando Norris and Max Verstappen lining up behind him, Gasly knows he’ll be under pressure from the get-go when the lights go out – but he’s ready for the challenge.

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Qualifying results

“If we can be a pain for these top teams once in a while that’d be great,” he said. “The conditions played well for us and it just shows we've got some good potential.

“I think the window is very narrow and we’ve got some fast guys behind us. Lando and Max can have a little go at each other in the first few laps and leave me out of it – I’m not going to be against that.

“Today’s package was good enough to get us to P5 and we'll try to hold on to it as much as we can,” he said. “I’ll fight with what I have.”

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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.