Formula 1 News: Pierre Gasly to Start British Grand Prix from Rear of Grid Due to Power Unit Penalty
Gasly Hit with Grid Penalty Ahead of British GP
Ahead of the highly anticipated British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Pierre Gasly is set to start from the rear of the grid after exceeding his power unit allowance for the season. The French driver required a new battery and set of control electronics for his Renault engine, resulting in a 20-grid place penalty.
In light of this, Alpine has decided to give Gasly an all-new power unit, aiming to reduce the number of grid penalties he will need to serve in the coming races. This strategic move comes as Gasly was already on his fourth and final V6 engine, turbo, and electric motor components, allowing him more breathing space in other areas for the remainder of the season.
“We had to change the battery,” Gasly explained to Canal+ on Thursday. “We had a few little problems earlier in the season which meant that I ended up with a faulty battery, another where we had two or three alerts at certain times. So, we needed to change the battery, which meant a 20-place penalty. We’re taking the opportunity to add an extra engine because I’ll have to start last in any case.”
With Gasly unlikely to contend for points from the rear of the field, Alpine’s decision to hand reserve driver Jack Doohan Gasly’s car for the Australian’s second rookie FP1 outing was a straightforward one.
Alpine Faces Tight Battle in Constructors’ Championship
However, this short-term setback comes at an unfortunate time as Alpine contends for points with the likes of Red Bull Racing, Aston Martin, and the resurgent Haas. In Austria, Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen finished sixth and eighth respectively, banking 12 points and leapfrogging Alpine to seventh in the Formula 1 standings.
Haas is now 10 points clear, more than the nine points Alpine has managed the entire first half of the season. “That was a tough one in Austria,” Gasly replied when asked by Motorsport.com/Autosport about how much of a blow Haas’s big points haul was. “They scored more points in a race weekend than they scored since the start of the year, so as a team it was far from ideal, but they did a good job.”
Gasly emphasized the importance of maximizing every opportunity, saying, “We’ve got to maximize, capitalize on every single opportunity we have. We know we’re going to be in the fight for one or two points because the top eight is out of reach. We still have a lot of races to go. If we manage to get a point or two each single time then we’ll be fine, but it’s a tight battle.”
Stay tuned for the latest Formula 1 news, Formula 1 standings, and Formula 1 calendar updates as the season unfolds.
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