Pierre Gasly Looking To Build On Impressive Record At Hungary

As far the 2023 World Championship is concerned, then it can be said that this hasn’t quite been Pierre Gasly’s year. The 27-year-old promising driver failed to score any points whatsoever at the most recent (or last) F1 race, which took place at the Silverstone-bound British Grand Prix.

The talented driver actually failed to finish the race down in eighteenth in what was, quite frankly, a day to forget for the Alpine team; Esteban Ocon actually failed to finish the contest.

Thus far, Pierre Gasly has scored in six of the ten Formula 1 contests held, his best race finish being Monaco-bound drive that resulted in a P7.

But having failed to make break into the top five in any of the contests held so far may have somewhere dealt a blow to his confidence.

Would you not think so?

However, Esteban Ocon on the other hand, has already scored a podium act, which was, interestingly at the Monaco Grand Prix itself, the scene of Gasly’s best-ever finish as on date.

Although the Formula 1 circus has just arrived for its twelfth round, due to take place the famed Hungaroring, there’s a saving grace for the French driver in that his record here speaks for itself.

As a matter of factly, of his total fifteen race retirements in Formula 1, Pierre Gasly has had only one here at the home of the Hungarian Grand Prix. The only time that Pierre Gasly failed to finish a Hungarian Grand Prix was back in the year 2020, but at that juncture, he was still relatively new to the sport and then, with the Alpha Tauri side, the erstwhile Scuderia Toro Rosso.

But then, what happened to Gasly the last time around he came to Hungary?

Pierre Jean-Jacques Gasly’s most recent drive at the Hungaroring resulted in a lowly P12, which in 2022, marked his final drive with the Alpha Tauri side at the European destination.

Gasly has, as on date, raced at the Hungaoring for not more than 5 occasions.

The first that he had contested at the Hungaroring was back in the 2018 world championship season, a year most remembered for Lewis Hamilton’s dominance with Mercedes and for Kimi Raikkonen winning what turned out to be his last ever F1 victory (Circuit of the Americas, COTA, Texas).

But on that occasion, Gasly scored a valiant P6 with Red Bull Toro Rosso.

Interestingly, it would turn out to be an effort that he would match the very next year with the Red Bull team, which eventually, turned out to be an exceedingly challenging assignment for the earnest Frenchman.

The 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, a classic rain-infested 70-lap run was, lest it is forgotten, one of the best drives ever from Pierre Gasly.

Then powered by the Honda Alpha Tauri alliance, Gasly drove a hard fought race to finish with eleven vital points to his name, which included the extra point earned thanks to setting the fastest-lap of the contest.

The race most remembered for Valtteri Cottas of Mercedes braking late, a move that caused a rut of several opening lap incidences, saw Pierre Gasly with the fastest lap on the final lap itself: a 1:18:394.

But even that contest had Ocon, Gasly’s current teammate, playing his part in the contest as the Alpine driver emerged on the top step of the podium.

It were to be Ocon’s maiden and thus far, only F1 win while Gasly continues to find his next win, having earned one a year prior at Monza.

With plenty of action expected to unfurl at the fast approaching Hungarian Grand Prix, a contest where Red Bull are set to field an even more feisty and competitive RB 19, it remains to be seen what Gasly can do this time around at the Hungaroring.