An emotional Pierre Gasly labelled the Brazilian Grand Prix as the “best day of my life” after he secured a shock maiden podium finish in Formula 1.
Gasly was demoted from Red Bull to Toro Rosso mid-season after a challenging first half of 2019, but has impressed since returning to the junior team.
Gasly secured sixth place on the grid at Interlagos and remained at the front of the midfield group, and moved up the order as drama unfolded further ahead.
A mechanical failure for Valtteri Bottas and a collision between the Ferrari drivers lifted Gasly to third, though he dropped to fourth when he was passed by the recovering Lewis Hamilton.
But Hamilton’s penultimate lap clash with Alexander Albon elevated him into second and he held off the Mercedes driver on the drag to the finish line, sealing the runner-up position.
“It’s just the best day of my life right now,” said Gasly.
“[There’s] so many emotions, and I’m thinking about all the people that helped me through my career, to put me in Formula 1 and help me, just all the people that supported me.
“I don’t know when I crossed the line, I had so many things going through my mind, and so many emotions as well, and yeah, it’s just incredible.
“It’s the [events of the] last few months, but it’s also all the efforts and all the sacrifices you do since you are young, dreaming about this day.
“The first dream is to make Formula 1, you make it, you have so many people helping you, you have a lot of things to go through to get there, and then after you dream about your first podium.
“You know I didn’t really imagine it was going to happen right now in the second part of the season with Toro Rosso, but I just gave everything I had the whole time, tried to get more out of myself the whole time, and today is just fantastic.
“That’s why I love motorsport, and that’s why I want to stay in this sport for so many years, because this kind of day is just amazing.”
Gasly added that he “saw Lewis had new tyres, and I knew he was going to try something [on Albon].
“Then he tried, they collided, and when I saw we could go through this and we were second, I was like ‘OK this is looking really good’.
“I still had Lewis behind me until the last centimetre before the line. He was really trying and I could see his front wing.
“I really didn’t want to let him past, because I wanted to hold onto that second position.
“I must say a big thanks to Honda because without the progress they have made, without them, I would never have held the second place on the line. Big congrats and thanks to all the guys.”
