Formula 1 News: Pierre Gasly Eyes Le Mans Victory Amid F1 Commitments
French Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly has confessed that attending the Le Mans 24 Hours without competing felt out of place, fueling his ambition to participate in the iconic endurance race. Gasly, along with his Alpine F1 teammate Esteban Ocon, attended the 92nd running of the French endurance classic, where Renault-owned Alpine debuted its new A424 LMDh prototype in the Hypercar category.
“I think it’s every kid’s dream,” Gasly said, gesturing to his childhood fascination with the race. “I’ve watched this race since I was that tall [pointing to the ground]. I actually lived five years in Le Mans, I studied here, and I’ve got a very close proximity with this city and this track. For sure, it will be a dream to win Le Mans one day.”
Currently focused on his Formula 1 commitments, Gasly acknowledged that a Le Mans outing is not imminent. However, he hopes to make it a reality in the future.
“We will see. For now, I’m fully focused on Formula 1, and it’s not really in the pipeline. But definitely seeing these guys out today, just wearing normal sneakers and jeans, just doesn’t feel right, so hopefully one day I will be able to be in a good car to participate in Le Mans.”
Gasly joins an esteemed group of Formula 1 drivers, including Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, who have publicly expressed their desire to compete in the blue riband round of the World Endurance Championship.
The Frenchman holds a deep respect for drivers who compete at Le Mans, citing the grueling schedule and changeable weather as significant challenges.
“I find it fascinating,” Gasly said. “I talked about it. I’ve got many friends racing here, which makes it even cooler because I’m on the grid and I’m seeing a lot of guys I raced against. I was saying like, ‘4am, with one hour of sleep, it’s going to be absolutely pissing down and it’s going to be very extreme.'”
As he continues to chase victory in the Tag Heuer Formula 1 calendar, Gasly’s ambition to compete in the endurance classic remains strong, and fans can expect to see him on the Le Mans grid in the future.
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