Pierre Gasly: “We just didn’t utilise all the opportunities given to us this weekend”

Pierre Gasly admitted it was a weekend to forget for Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda at the Sochi Autodrom after the Frenchman ended the Russian Grand Prix outside the points in thirteenth.

After getting the tactics wrong during Saturday’s Qualifying session in Russia, Gasly was hoping to make gains and score points on Sunday, but another tactical error not to pit early when the rain begun to fall late in the race cost him a shot at the top ten.

Gasly also found himself spun around by Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team’s Lance Stroll during the rain shower, but all in all it was not the weekend the Frenchman was after, and he is hoping and expecting a better weekend in Turkey in two weeks time.

“It’s not been a great weekend for us really, we missed a big opportunity yesterday in Qualifying and again today we made the wrong decision with the slicks, which unfortunately means we finished out of the points,” said Gasly.

“The pace was strong here and I think we had a good first stint, but we just didn’t utilise all the opportunities given to us this weekend, which is a real shame. We need to review everything from today and work out how we make the most out of these conditions in the future.

“It’s a weekend to forget, but we’ve got a good team and I’m confident we can bounce back at the next one.”

“I just need to reset after this weekend” – Yuki Tsunoda

Team-mate Yuki Tsunoda had an anonymous day in Russia on Sunday, with the Japanese racer finishing down in seventeenth position, well adrift of Gasly.

Tsunoda admitted he struggled to get the right balance on his AT-02 all weekend, and as such was unable to fight for a top ten position, even when the rain came at the end. 

And he will now be looking to have a reset ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix next month in order to come back fighting and challenging for points.

“It’s obviously a disappointing day,” said Tsunoda.  “I’ve struggled with the balance of the car all weekend and it was the same today in the race, especially on the first lap where it was hard to keep it on the track.

“I just need to reset after this weekend and work on my baseline performance, so I can start finishing in the points again.”

Yuki Tsunoda finished down in seventeenth in Russia – Credit: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images