In qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday, one driver reached Q2 for the first time this season. But Ted Kravitz has been struck by his negative demeanour.
While Fernando Alonso impressed in third place for Aston Martin, teammate Lance Stroll fell at the second hurdle. It may have been an improvement on his miserable Q1 exit in Japan last time out, but he’ll still be disappointed.
One driver who may feel better about his performance is Daniel Ricciardo, who out-qualified RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda for the first time this season. Ricciardo will start Sunday’s race from 12th.
Esteban Ocon lines up 13th in his Alpine after out-pacing Williams driver Alex Albon. Albon’s run of failing to make Q3 this season continues.
Pierre Gasly was the slowest runner in the second segment. That means the Frenchman will take up the 15th spot on the grid.
Ted Kravitz has spotted one frustrated driver at Chinese Grand Prix
Speaking outside the Alpine garage ahead of qualifying, Sky Sports F1 presenter Ted Kravitz shared his observation about Gasly. Teammate Ocon is running an updated car this weekend, leaving him on the backfoot.
Despite that, Gasly was the faster of the two in sprint qualifying on Friday, although they had to settle for 16th and 17th. He gained one spot in the 100km race, while Ocon made up three.
Saturday marked his best qualifying showing of the campaign after a stretch of four consecutive Q1 exits. But he now trails Ocon 5-0 in the intra-team head-to-head, and Kravitz says he hasn’t looked like a driver in an especially good mood.
He said: “There we see Pierre Gasly. He hasn’t cut a particularly happy figure for me all weekend.”
Colleague Craig Slater added: “He’s been saying ‘it will be a hard weekend for me on my side of the garage’.”
Will Pierre Gasly leave Alpine?
Alpine, who finished sixth in 2023 with 120 points, have been F1’s poorest team this year. With four races gone, they’re propping up the constructors’ standings without a single point to their name.
When Gasly joined from AlphaTauri at the start of last year, he would have been excited about their long-term trajectory. Alpine bosses had been speaking about regularly challenging for podiums by 2024.
As it is, they still look some way off even finishing in the top 10. And as he approaches the end of his contract, Gasly must be tempted to shop around.
Where could he go if he does leave? Well, one possible destination is Audi, who are acquiring 100% of the Sauber team ahead of their 2026 entry.
A recent report mentioned Gasly as a candidate alongside teammate Ocon, RB’s Tsunoda and even Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, on the proviso that he loses his seat. Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg are the leading contenders for those spots right now.
The 2020 Italian Grand Prix winner has said he wants to drive for a works team in F1, and Audi would fit the bill. But the question is whether he can truly show the German manufacturer what he can do in his current machinery.
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