“The last thing I want is to get stupid penalty points and lose race time,” Pierre Gasly wants to meet the stewards over ‘harsh’ penalties
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Pierre Gasly
Pierre Gasly has been very decent throughout the 2022 season. But recently has been under the supervision quite alot. Gasly will be leaving AlphaTauri to join Alpine. But, right now, he has the threat of a race ban looming over him. The points total won’t be reset till after next year’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, so he has a hard task ahead of him to avoid it.
As per the regulations, drivers receiving 12 points on their driving licence would give them a race ban. The Frenchman has been penalized for three races in a row, with the most recent penalty coming for leaving the track and gaining an advantage against Lance Stroll on lap 13 of the Mexican Grand Prix.
Gasly will have to be ‘cautious’ in the last two races to avoid a race ban, which would be a historic first since the system was implemented. As per Motorsport.com, he certainly wasn’t happy with the stewards’ decision-making: “I’m a racing driver, and if I see a gap I will go for the gap. And if you are not happy about it, tell me to give the position back, and then I will try again. I wasn’t given any comments, so that is a shame.”
He also cited how he was penalized in Austin, for a violation that apparently ‘half the grid’ was committing: “They [the stewards] seem to be quite harsh lately. Last weekend half the grid was giving too much space behind the safety car, and I was penalised. This weekend I think it was quite tight, and I don’t know why I wasn’t really given a message to give the position back.”
Pierre Gasly on his demand to meet the stewards
Pierre Gasly got a 20-second penalty for speeding under a red flag in Japan, which some people felt was harsh, and that it did not blame race control enough, who were the reason that the tractor was present on the side of the track. It was barely visible, and Gasly was extremely unhappy with that.
Considering that he has been penalized for three races in a row, he wants to discuss with the stewards what exactly he is doing wrong: “At the end of the day I try my best inside the car, and the last thing I want is to get stupid penalty points and lose race time. Apparently at the moment they are not happy with what I’m doing, so I will have a discussion to understand exactly what I have got to change.”
Pierre Gasly will be driving for Alpine next year, as he is finally leaving the Red Bull family for ‘greener’ pastures. Certainly, a race ban wouldn’t be what he would like to start his stint with the French team.
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Soham Raj Jain
(480 Articles Published)