Formula 1 fans brace yourselves for a nail-biting showdown at the upcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Pierre Gasly from Alpine raises concerns about the team’s Achilles’ heel being exposed on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Gasly, fresh off a commendable performance in Bahrain, where he secured a seventh-place finish, is apprehensive about Alpine’s ongoing struggle with top-speed deficiency. The French driver highlighted the challenges posed by the high-speed nature of the Jeddah track, known for its flat-out stretches and rapid corners, which are expected to magnify Alpine’s woes with the A525 package.
With an engine freeze in place since 2022, Alpine has been grappling with a less powerful Renault power unit compared to its competitors, putting them at a disadvantage in straight-line speed. Gasly’s fellow driver, Carlos Sainz, even suggested that Gasly could have clinched a front-row spot in the previous race if not for Alpine’s power deficit.
Gasly candidly admitted, “We are still lacking top speed. That’s obviously going to be quite painful around Jeddah, which is full throttle for most of the lap. We still need to get on top of it, but we are working on it.”
Despite the looming challenges, Gasly is rallying Alpine to make the most of their opportunities in Jeddah. The driver, who has shown promise at the circuit in the past, emphasized the importance of maximizing their strengths while acknowledging the room for improvement in various aspects of the car’s performance.
As Alpine sits at ninth place in the Constructors’ Championship with six points solely from Gasly’s Bahrain performance, the team faces a pivotal moment in the current triple-header. Gasly’s call to action for Alpine to step up their game in Jeddah hints at the intense competition and strategic maneuvers expected in the upcoming race.
Stay tuned as the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix promises to be a showdown of speed, skill, and strategy, with Alpine’s vulnerabilities set to be put to the ultimate test on the challenging Jeddah track.