"
I had the race under control from the first to the last lap
."
No, Pierre Gasly did not win the Mexican Grand Prix.
But it's just like.
Fourth behind the untouchables Red Bull and the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the Normand had the feeling of duty accomplished when giving his feelings on this bizarre race from a personal point of view.
Fifth on the grid, the Alpha Tauri driver found himself fourth at the first turn before relenting his position.
His pace was insufficient to catch up with the leading trio but sufficient to contain the Ferraris behind him.
As a result, he spent the vast majority of his Sunday riding on his own.
Read alsoTops / Flops GP of Mexico: Verstappen gives the lesson, Mercedes in emergency
"
I will maybe go for a jog tonight to let off steam,
" he joked at the microphone of
Canal +
after the race.
Gasly had a singular grand prix, as evidenced by his abysmal gaps with the local Sergio Perez (3rd, 45 seconds ahead) and his friend Charles Leclerc (5th to 17 seconds).
Moreover, the 25-year-old driver signed this big blow as a good management controller, he who could fear a retirement as in two of the last four races.
A management which earned him the congratulations of its director Franz Tost, obviously satisfied with the result: "
We know how difficult it is to control his tires and brakes at such an altitude, and Pierre was fantastic the entire race, he behaved like a great professional. "
A second podium in 2021?
“
We could not go looking better today
, agreed the person concerned.
It was an incredible race and a perfect weekend.
"For the second time this season after Zandvoort (Netherlands), former Red Bull driver has climbed to the foot of a podium dominated by Red Bull and Mercedes, a performance
best of the rest
(the best of rest of the board).
A status that he regularly endorses in the timed exercise, where he still shone in Mexico (seven times in the top 5 of qualifying this season).
This performance grants the winner of the 2020 Italian Grand Prix the right to glimpse a third top 10 in a row at the end of the season.
The big points scored in Mexico allow the French (9th, 86 pts) to relegate Fernando Alonso, his closest pursuer in the drivers' standings, to 20 lengths.
But also to hope for an even more successful end of the season, he who has taken to outperforming with his modest Alpha Tauri.
With his eyes riveted on the end of the season, Gasly can legitimately hope to beat his points record (95 pts in 2019) and rise to the podium again, after his third place in Baku at the beginning of June.
Read alsoFormula 1: Hamilton and Mercedes, the fear of heights
Santa for Alpha Tauri
From Sunday in Sao Paulo? On an Interlagos track where he had made a name for himself by winning the first French podium in four years (2nd in 2019), the Normand will be able to benefit from the power of his Honda engine in the demanding altitude of Brazil (800 m altitude), as in Mexico (2,285 m). Conversely, he will have to fight in the sprint qualifying format, unfavorable to his car, more reliable on a fast lap, and where he will have struggled this season (12th at Silverstone, retirement in the first lap at Monza).
A new top 5 (he already has 4 in 2021) would also allow his team to secure a convincing fifth place in the constructors' standings, where the 12 points scored by his spearhead allowed Scuderia Alpha Tauri to join Alpine. before the last deadlines (106 points for the two teams).
And as in Mexico, where his teammate Yuki Tsunoda gave up from the start, the flagship of Alpha Tauri performs practically alone (86 of the 106 points scored).
"
My goal is to offer fifth place to Franz (Tost) and the team
,
that would be a nice and well-deserved Christmas present
", prophesies Santa Claus Gasly, confirmed in his seat for next year.
A give-and-take relationship.