Pierre Gasly conceded that he “cannot really push” Red Bull’s Formula 1 car as he wishes, in the wake of a subdued display at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Gasly endured a frustrating Red Bull debut in Australia as a miscommunication error left him out in Q1, from where he was able to recover only to 11th.
Gasly’s struggles continued in Bahrain as he dropped out of qualifying in Q2, citing an inability to drive Red Bull’s RB15 to its potential, accentuating tyre wear in the process.
Gasly started from 13th position but was able to rise only to eighth, finishing behind midfielders Lando Norris and Kimi Raikkonen, having also profited from Nico Hulkenberg’s late exit.
It leaves Gasly with just four points from the opening two Grands Prix.
“It was quite a difficult race and I’m still not completely comfortable with the car,” he said.
“As soon as I try to push, I struggle a lot with the rear and the traction.
“For sure, I need to see what I can improve to get the maximum out of the car and work with the engineers to see what we can do to make me feel more confident, because at the moment I feel I cannot really push.
“I need to make an effort and adapt, because each car is different, and I will work with the team to find a set-up which fits my driving style better.
“Overall, I think there are also some positives. After the start the car felt better, I managed to finish inside the points, and now we just need to find the areas we can improve on.
“We will do the work and I’ll do anything I can to arrive stronger in China.”
Team-mate Max Verstappen finished the race in fourth position.
