Alpine managed to score a point at this Sunday’s (23) Formula 1 Dutch GP. However, both Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto highlighted the difficulties faced in Zandvoort.
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The Frenchman crossed the finish line in tenth place, securing the points zone, but highlighted how frustrating the end was, especially in the direct fight with Racing Bulls. “It was a very frustrating race at the end, although our start was very good, exactly what we needed after starting 11th. We managed to climb to 9th position, but then we had to avoid Max [Verstappen] in the last corner,” he said.
“After the second restart, due to the red flag, we again did well holding 8th place; from there, the situation became very difficult and hectic. Clearly, Racing Bulls is our direct rival, and they had a plan to maximize their race and affect ours. That was to be expected, but it was something irritating to face behind the wheel! It’s a long season, I will remember that, and the championship battle is definitely open,” he continued.
“I’m glad we had updates this weekend, which put us in a much more competitive position, something reflected in the points we managed to score. We have a lot to analyze about the weekend, but I’m already looking forward to Monza and continuing the battle on track.”
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Meanwhile, the Argentine lamented a challenging day throughout in Zandvoort, especially after receiving a penalty and finishing further down the order. “A challenging race for us today, which became even more difficult due to the drive-through penalty we received for the incident on the opening lap. I had a very strong start, overtook four cars, and entered the points zone. It seemed like it would be a good race for us from there, but our race was compromised after the penalty.”
“I consider the decision harsh; it’s something we will analyze to try to learn and understand better. After that, as I said, our race was not easy. We had difficulties with tire grip, which hurt our pace in the recovery attempt, finishing 14th, the same position I started in. It’s positive that Pierre finished 10th and managed to score points with the update package. I will have the same updates at the next round in Monza, and I’m looking forward to racing with them and really fighting for points,” he concluded.
Read more F1: Red Bull admits setback after difficult race in Zandvoort
