(Motorsports news) Gasly was urged to allow Ocon through in the final stages of the Suzuka race, as the pair looked likely to finish ninth and tenth. Gasly reacted angrily on the radio, but eventually yielded by allowing his teammate to pass at the last possible minute, in the third sector of the penultimate lap.
Gasly was instructed to allow Ocon past to repay a favor from earlier in the race, when Gasly passed Ocon but subsequently failed to overtake Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso ahead of the duo, forcing the places to be reversed. However, a perplexed While Gasly was aware of Ocon undercutting him, the late reversal was never discussed in the pre-race strategy talks, according to Gasly.
“It wasn’t discussed before the race,” stated Gasly. “It was clear from their strategy that Esteban would undercut me at some point, but my pace was faster and I would have to pass him back. I overtook him on the racetrack anyway because I had fresher tyres. It was never mentioned that we would need to invert the positions again because I always started ahead.”
“As a team, ninth and tenth is the same, but it was definitely not something I expected.” And because I was the leading automobile, I don’t really get it, so we’ll talk about it. I’m driving, and my job is to go as fast as possible.” I’m doing everything I can to help. Why would you give up a job, and for what reason?” Gasly explained that while he didn’t understand the choice, he didn’t want to put his own interests before of the team’s.
“Today, I put the team ahead of myself, and that’s what I’ll do in the future,” he added. In the end, a struggling Alpine outfit recovered a double points position that appeared to be jeopardized when Ocon was embroiled in a start scuffle with Valtteri Bottas and Alex Albon, both of whom retired from the race.
“I think we had a good strategy as a team, and we did the best job we could with both cars,” Gasly said. I don’t understand the team’s decision, but I respected it and let Esteban pass, but in the end, it’s three points for the team, and that’s what we will have to look at.”
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