Pierre Gasly was all smiles under the Brazilian sun after a stellar weekend in São Paulo saw him score points in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix.
The Frenchman battled hard to claim P8 in Saturday’s Sprint and P10 in Sunday’s main event, marking Alpine’s first double-points weekend since before F1’s summer break – and a much-needed morale boost for the struggling Enstone squad.
But while Gasly was thrilled with the car’s sudden spark, he was scratching his head over what flipped the switch at Interlagos.
Back in the Points
Starting 13th in Saturday’s Sprint, Gasly carved his way forward with typical precision and aggression. Then, in the Grand Prix, he faced a more complicated afternoon after pitting early from a soft-tyre start, forcing him to claw his way back through dense midfield traffic.
Despite late pressure from Alex Albon, Gasly clung on by a mere three-tenths of a second to secure a hard-earned point – small in number, but significant in spirit.
“I’m very, very happy. We hadn’t scored a point on a Sunday since Spa before the summer break, so it has been a long three months, and this weekend, we just had a good car,” Gasly explained.
“We managed to score one point in the Sprint and another point on Sunday, which was pretty difficult, so I’m pleased.”
A Duel to Remember and a Mystery to Solve
Gasly’s weekend in São Paulo weekend wasn’t without its wheel-to-wheel thrills. He found himself locked in a fierce fight with compatriot Isack Hadjar, whose VCARB machine proved just a little too fast on the straights.
“It was a tough battle with Isack,” he admitted. “I managed to dive twice into Turn 1. Unfortunately, he was getting me back every time on the straight before Turn 4, so I spent quite a lot of time thinking I’m going to have nightmares about that VCARB rear wing!
“But I think overall, they were fighting for – they got a podium this year? – they have been pretty strong this year, and just to be in that mix showed we had a good car this weekend.”
The Frenchman’s connection with Interlagos runs deep — it’s where he claimed his maiden F1 podium in 2019 with Toro Rosso and another rostrum last season for Alpine. But this time, he credited the performance not to personal magic, but to something different in the car – even if he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
“For sure, Brazil is treating me well, but the car was just on another level compared to the last three months,” he noted.
“So, we’ve just got to understand exactly why and from now, enjoy the good weekends. Hopefully we can repeat that again.”
Alpine may still be anchored near the bottom of the Constructors’ standings, but Gasly’s upbeat weekend showed that the A525 still has a pulse – and perhaps even a little fight left in it.
For a driver who’s been battling relentlessly through tough Sundays, Sao Paulo’s return to form wasn’t just about points – it was about belief. And as Gasly put it, the next step is simple: figure out why it worked, and make it happen again.
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