Pierre Gasly opens up on ‘frustrating’ year with focus shifting to 2023

Pierre Gasly currently sits P13 in the Drivers' Championship.

It’s been a difficult first half of the season for Pierre Gasly and Scuderia AlphaTauri, who have arguably fallen back in the running order, relative to where they were over the last couple of seasons.

AlphaTauri haven’t enjoyed the same sort of results that they have in recent years, with a podium finish appearing highly unlikely.

After thirteen races, Gasly has only scored 16 points so far in 2022, with team-mate Yuki Tsunoda sitting on just 11.

It looks almost certain that Gasly won’t surpass the 100 points he scored in 2021, a year where AlphaTauri finished sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.

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The Faenza-based team are currently eighth in the Constructors’ Championship; however, they are 24 points behind sixth-placed Alfa Romeo.

The Frenchman who recently signed a deal with the Italian team until the end of 2023, has only finished in the points three times in 2022, with his best result being P5 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Gasly is frustrated with how the season is going for the Red Bull Racing sister team, with the team’s lead driver believing they aren’t getting the “prize” they deserve.

“It’s never easy because all humans and especially us athletes, we work with the mentality that the harder you work the better reward you get,” Gasly told GPFans.

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“F1 is a tough sport where sometimes you can work as hard as you want but the reward is not there.

“At the moment, that’s the sort of situation we are in. Every single guy in the team is trying their best. Us drivers are trying our best, and when you try to do everything right but then at the end of the weekends you end up P12.

“It’s frustrating because you don’t get the prize for all the efforts that we are putting in]. It’s in this sort of situation, and the moment when things are challenging – it’s a slightly more challenging situation – that I believe as a leader it’s important to keep everybody united and just really keep that dedication and work ethic that we always had in the past that works.

“Even at the moment we don’t get the reward, I’m sure that it will come whether it’s a short-term, mid-term.”

The new aerodynamic changes for 2022 has seen the running order change, with some teams benefitting more than others.

AlphaTauri certainly haven’t benefited from the regulation changes, with Gasly already looking ahead to 2023.

“Everything we are doing anyway is going to help us for next year,” said the Frenchman.

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“That’s also one thing which on my side is difficult right now, but I know now that my future is also clear with the team over the next 18 months that everything we are doing now, we’re working now, even if, okay, it doesn’t change my race right now, it’s still going to impact my 2023 car.

“It means that everything we’re doing will have a beneficial impact for the future.

“That’s a bit the mentality, but it’s obviously more and more challenging time than in the past two years.”