AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly has admitted that he is becoming frustrated with the amount of penalty points that he is beginning to rack up, with the Frenchman picking up penalty points for the third weekend in a row in Mexico.
Drivers can be given penalty points by the FIA for dangerous driving or rule breaches throughout the course of the season, with 12 points being accumulated resulting in a potential race ban for the recipient.
After picking up a penalty point and a 5-second penalty for forcing Lance Stroll off the track due to a lockup when attempting an overtake, Gasly expressed his frustration at the FIA’s verdict.
“I’m a racing driver – if I see a gap, I go for a gap,” Gasly said, almost echoing that famous quote by F1 legend Ayrton Senna.
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“If you are not happy about it then tell me to give the position back and I’ll try again.
“I wasn’t given any comments, so that’s a shame.
“They just need to say it on the radio, that’s what they’ve done in the past, but for some reason not this time.”
These suggestions of inconstancy are becoming a common theme now in recent races, with Haas left frustrated when Fernando Alonso was not shown the black and orange flag to pit and repair his damaged car, despite Kevin Magnussen being shown this flag for lesser damage just weeks before.
Gasly would like to have a conversation with the FIA over his recent penalties, as he believes that they are treating him harshly, after picking up five points in the previous three races.
“At the moment, they’re unhappy with what I’m doing so I will have a discussion with them to understand exactly what I have got to change,” said the Frenchman.
“Last weekend half the grid was given too much space behind the safety car and I was penalised.
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“This weekend was quite tight, I don’t know why I wasn’t given a message to give the position back.
“At the end of the day, I try my best inside the car, the last thing I wany is to [pick up] stupid penalty points and lose race time.”
With the French driver on the verge of earning a race ban, his future employers Alpine will be hoping that he can keep his racing clean in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, before linking up with his new team.