Pierre Gasly says he and AlphaTauri has to understand its upgraded AT03 after he lacked performance through Formula 1’s French Grand Prix.
Gasly showed encouraging speed in Friday’s practice sessions in the updated car but was eliminated from Q1 on home soil on Saturday.
Gasly contended in the midfield but ultimately finished outside of the top 10, extending his and AlphaTauri’s run without points, following Yuki Tsunoda’s early exit.
“We tried to fight to get back into the points and what we managed is P12, which clearly isn’t the performance we would have liked,” said Gasly.
“The fans and spectators made it a special weekend to put a big smile on my face, but I am extremely disappointed in the performance we showed.
“If I knew what the problem was, we could have changed it, but there was just a lot of sliding around and a lack of grip, especially in the high-speed corners.
“I tried everything I could in the car to push, changing lines, but there was nothing that clicked.
“Obviously, I don’t want to jump to any conclusions, but based on the pace we had we need to review to understand why Friday went so well and from then on it was a struggle.
“We finished only 3 seconds behind P10, so we aren’t miles away, but there are no points for P11 or P12.
“It is now important to try to understand this new package. It will take some time, but it is quite tight in the midfield, so we have to find the solutions.”
Tsunoda was left frustrated after he was spun on the opening lap by Esteban Ocon, for which the Frenchman was penalised.
“I definitely left enough space, but he lost control,” said Tsunoda. “It ruined our whole race and five seconds is not enough in the end, when he continued with no damage, even getting some points.”
