pierregasly – The Fastest Sector

Flashback Friday: Monza 2020!

Source: MostlyF1.com

With 2023 coming to an end, it is time for our last Flashback Friday of the year! Monza 2020 was an epic event with an unexpected podium after it was the first race since Hungry 2012 to not have a Mercedes, RedBull, or Ferrari on the podium! Pierre Gasly accomplished his first Formula 1 race win and emotions were high for everyone involved.

It was Mercedes teammates, Lewis Hamilton and Valteri Bottas who sat on the front row of the grid with eventual race winner Gasly starting in 10^th for Alphatauri Honda. It was an exciting first lap with Hamilton getting a good start and heading into the lead of the race. Bottas on the other hand had an awful start letting both Mclaren’s of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz past him.

Source: F1.com

Sebastian Vettel in his Ferrari had a break failure in lap 6 sending him through the polystyrene barriers but coming to a stop safely off the track. On lap 19 the Haas of Kevin Magnussen experienced engine issues, coming to a stop on the side of the tack. The safety car was brought out to allow for its safe removal. The pit lane was closed at the same time the safety car was deployed however Hamilton and Mercedes still came in to change tyres. On lap 22 the pit lane reopened with all cars except Hamilton coming in to change tyres and the green flag to go racing again came on lap 24.

Lap 25 saw Charles Leclerc send his Ferrari into the barriers at the Parabolica in a huge accident, bringing the safety car straight back out. Due to the immense damage to the tyre barriers, the race was red flagged to allow for necessary repairs. Hamilton received a 10-second stop-go penalty for entering the pitlane while closed.

Source: GrandPrix247.com

The race resumed with a standing grid start on lap 28 with Hamilton still in the lead and Lance Stroll for Racing Point close behind him. Gasly restarted the race in third but overtook Stroll on the restart putting him into second place. When Hamilton pitted on lap 29 and served his penalty it sent him tumbling down to the back of the grid in 17^th place. Lap 31 had Max Verstappen in the RedBull retire due to engine issues.

It was a close race the end end with Sainz and Stroll fighting hard against Kimi Raikkonen for podium places. Hamilton began to move back through the field, and it was close, tight racing all the way through. The battle for first was intense with only 0.3 seconds being between Gasly and Sainz during the final lap.

Source: TheRace.com

In the end it was Gasly who prevailed, finishing 0.4 seconds in front of Sainz. It was Stroll who took the last podium place of Monza 2020. Fastest lap went to Lewis Hamilton who had worked his way back up to 7^thposition. It was an emotional day for the Gasly and the Alphtauri Honda team and not one they would forget any time soon.

Written by Cesca.

Dutch GP 2023: Rain, flags, tyres, and party

Since its return to the F1 calendar in 2020, Zandvoort has given fans some jaw-dropping moments and some amazing races and this year’s race was no different. The race was full of rain, yellow and red flags, tyres and an orange army party.

Source: Autocar India

Max Verstappen matched Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine wins in a row when he won the wet and windy Dutch race. Fernando Alonso came 2^nd showing that Aston Martin might be back on track after a struggle before the summer break and Pierre Gasly came 3^rd after Sergio Perez had a 5-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane.

Earlier in the weekend, Oscar Piastri crashed into the wall while driving on the unique Zandvoort banking which caused Daniel Ricciardo to crash into the wall as well trying to avoid hitting the McLaren. The Australian suffered a broken wrist which meant he had to have surgery during the race and Liam Lawson took over the AlphaTauri car.

Throughout the weekend spurts of rain fell onto the track and the race was no different, heavy rain began to fall at the start of the race causing every driver to dive into the pitlane within the first few laps for intermediate tyres, the drivers that tried to stay out during the deluge of water soon found themselves struggling and at the back of the pack. Perez was the first to pit and found himself in 1^st place with Zhou Guanyu 11 seconds behind in 2^nd.

Verstappen and Lando Norris started on the front row but while Red Bull got their strategy perfect, McLaren tried to let Norris and Piastri stay out longer than they could, and their chance of a podium was gone.

The rain had lasted longer than all the teams expected but once it had stopped the track began to try quickly. Lawson received a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for impeding in the pitlane during the kerfuffle of everyone getting intermediate tyres.

Verstappen showed the speed and power of this year’s Red Bull and began to hunt down his teammate to the excitement of the dancing crowd. The team made the decision to have the Dutch driver perform an undertake on Perez which put him out in front.

Logan Sargeant crashed in turn 8 when the rain returned which caused the safety car to come out and Gasly received a 5 second stop and go penalty for speeding in the pitlane which was served at his pitstop. When the safety car ended, Verstappen kept his lead with Perez and Alonso fighting behind him.

The middle part of the race went on and at the ending stages the rain began again, this time heavier. Zhou went into the barriers and that combined with the heavy weather, the FIA decided to red flag the race. The radars showed that there would be a break in the rain for just enough time to continue the last few laps of the race.

After contact with Norris, George Russel dropped down the order with a possible puncture which caused him to become the fourth car to DNF behind Sargeant, Charles Leclerc and Zhou.

The race finished with the Dutch fans dancing, cheering and roaring like they were for the entire race. With the Dutch GP weekend finished the teams are looking ahead to Monza, which like Zantvoort, is always a party.