Pierre Gasly has defied expectations to qualify a sensational third for Alpine at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The Frenchman, who has endured a challenging 2024 season, produced a career-best qualifying performance to split the Ferrari drivers and land himself on the second row of the grid.
Gasly had hinted at his potential throughout practice, consistently placing within the top ten.
However, a podium finish seemed like a distant dream for the Alpine team. But come qualifying, Gasly stepped up to the plate, putting together a scorching lap in Q3 that left him just 0.352 seconds behind pole-sitter George Russell.
“I’m very happy to qualify in the top three today,” Gasly beamed afterwards. “The lap felt incredible, and it was one of those where you cross the line and you know that everything was thrown at it.”
The result marks a significant turnaround for Gasly, who struggled in the early stages of the season.
The upgrades introduced by Alpine in Austin appear to be paying dividends, with the team now firmly in the fight for sixth place in the constructors’ championship.
“This track is all about fine margins and it’s tricky with the low downforce with a lot of sliding, but I just had a lot of fun out there,” Gasly said.
This sentiment was echoed by Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes, who praised Gasly’s “perfect job” and acknowledged the team’s improved performance.
However, Oakes remained cautious, recognizing the unpredictability of racing and the importance of tire management.
Gasly’s teammate, Esteban Ocon, narrowly missed out on a spot in Q3 and will start from P11. Despite this, Alpine remains optimistic about achieving a double points finish, replicating their success in Brazil last race.
