They confess that there are sore legs among the staff of Alpine. The day before they rented a soccer field in the Espanyol sports city and in the party there were efforts that are now paid dearly. Among the players was Pierre Gasly (France, 28 years old). “I don’t have a contract, anything can happen. I’m waiting for a call from Florentino Pérez,” jokes the pilot, who chats with a group of Spanish media and, with the Euro Cup on TV, starts talking about… football.
From Mbappé: “You could see it coming. I’m a PSG fan so it breaks my heart. I know Kylian quite well, He is an incredible, unique player. Seeing him at PSG for so many years was exciting, one of the best in the world. So Madrid is a very strong team, they have already shown it many times. It will be interesting to see how he does there, but it will certainly be special. Like Hamilton in Ferrari? “It could be compared, it is a similar movement.”
The Frenchman has the possibility of continuing in Alpine, where Ocon will not continue, although he is keeping an eye on the market for what may arise. “It is an ongoing process. The market is very clear right now, there are conversations and it is evolving. I don’t want to talk too much until it is decided and announced. Although she is going in the right direction”, assures AS. The continuous changes in the staff of the Enstone team (the latest, the incorporation of Flavio Briatore as executive advisor, in the style of Helmut Marko) do not have to be seen as negative in the eyes of Gasly: “If you look at McLaren or Aston (Martin), everything they have done in recent years… changes for the better are possible. Each situation is unique, I see many positive changes in the team and the factory, although they do not translate into better performance directly on the track.”
If you have to compare his current teammate, Ocon, with his teammate at Red Bull (in 2019), Verstappen: “Esteban is fast, Max is fast. We are from the same generation. I have a good relationship with Max, I have no relationship with Esteban. So they are both good drivers, Max is a three-time world champion and Esteban is not. As a driver, Max is one of the best in a long time.” Esteban and Pierre, rivals since karting, will not be invited to birthdays.
On the problems of Alpine, now eighth car although with points in the last two races: “Other teams have taken a big step forward and we continue at the same level, while the rest have improved. We have lacked development and the new car concept has not brought the profits we expected. All parts influence F1, it is not just the engine, chassis or aerodynamics. A little bit of mechanical grip, a little bit of aerodynamics, a little bit of efficiency, a little bit of tire use, a little bit of engine. When you have all the missing pieces, the disadvantage is great. But overall, we have to improve in all areas.”
