The Enstone machine has been clearly benchmarked as the slowest in the 2024 field, and that pattern continued in Australia, where Gasly finished 13th and his team-mate Esteban Ocon was 16th after a brake issue caused an extra pitstop.
Gasly says that the speed of the A524 has not compromised his motivation in the cockpit.
“Once I’m in the car, I’m like an animal,” he said. “I want to do the best I can with the package that I have in my hands.
“But even when we do an amazing lap and we are in P14 or do a really good race and you’re P13, it’s not really the same satisfaction as if you do a really good race and finish either on the top step or P5 with the package you have.
“So as [long] as we learn and we move forward, that’s the most important thing. I know the team is working really hard, and I can see some of the directions they’re taking to improve the package we’ve got, and I know we’ll get better. But it’s just got to take time.”
In Melbourne Gasly rose up the order by making a late first stop and following Nico Hulkenberg in the first part of the race, although the German eventually finished four places ahead.
Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“Start 17th, finish 13th,” he said. “I think we were running in P8 at some point, and we would have liked the red flag at that moment.
“But that was a bit what we tried, we try to put ourselves in a decent track position at some point in the race hoping for things to happen, because that’s what we need, really.
“So apart from that, I don’t think we can do any better at the moment. It’s going be the same speech as the last weekend [in Jeddah], but we’ve got to be patient until we get upgrades because we’re just too far away from a points finish at the moment.”
Asked by Autosport if he had at least enjoyed racing with Hulkenberg, he said: “Last year at the same time of the year I was racing with Carlos [Sainz] for P4. This year he is winning the race, and I’m in 13th.
“So not really having much fun, but I know and we know the position we are in. And I know we’re not going to stay there, and I trust the team to find the solutions to improve the performance. But we need more performance to be able to fight back in the points.”
Watch: What happened to Lewis’ Power Unit? | 2024 Australian GP Akkodis F1 Race Debrief
