Pierre Gasly Secures Surprising Third Position in Las Vegas GP Qualifying

Pierre Gasly, the French driver for Alpine, has achieved a remarkable third-place qualification for the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix, representing Renault-owned Alpine‘s best performance of the season. This achievement follows a significant podium double in Brazil, further positioning Gasly as a notable contender in Formula 1’s midfield battle.

Gasly’s qualifying performance places him behind only George Russell of Mercedes, who secured pole position, and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, who currently ranks sixth and fifth in the championship, respectively. «I think we know where the target is for us,» Gasly stated to reporters. «We’re fighting Haas and AlphaTauri [Red Bull-owned RB] in the constructors’ championship. Obviously, whatever happened in that quali is amazing. It feels good to be in front of Max [Verstappen] and McLaren, but at the end of the day, it’s not our fight.»

Alpine now holds a narrow lead for sixth place overall in the constructors’ standings, just three points ahead of Haas and five points clear of AlphaTauri. Meanwhile, Alpine’s French teammate Esteban Ocon, who finished second in Brazil, will start from 11th on the grid.

Gasly expressed his excitement at the qualification result, marking it as a personal milestone. «Obviously, it’s only qualifying, but I think it’s probably the first time I qualify in the top three,» he noted. «It feels like it was a special one.» Gasly previously won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix with AlphaTauri starting from tenth position on the grid.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix, characterized by its unique late-night schedule, is set to offer an exciting race weekend, with Mercedes showing promising pace in practice sessions. Despite the quick pace shown by Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, the team reportedly found it puzzling why their car was especially fast on single-lap runs.

Alpine team boss Oliver Oakes, who assumed his role in August, commented on the team’s recent improvements, «I think since Austin [last month], every weekend we’re getting better with this upgrade. There’s a bit of dialing in. Pierre’s driving well, you can see that, he’s putting it all together.»