The AlphaTauri’s extra weight hampered Pierre Gasly throughout the 2022 season

For his last season at AlphaTauri, Pierre Gasly was only able to bring back 23 points. It’s a real disappointment for the whole Faenza team, who aimed higher than their 6th place in the constructor’s championship in 2021.

“The year has been complicated because there were obviously very high expectations after last season,” said Pierre Gasly in Abu Dhabi.

A car that is too heavy.

The introduction of the new regulations this season disrupted the world of Formula 1 with new challenges. The weight of the single-seaters is the element that has posed the most problems for many teams, including AlphaTauri. The French driver is frustrated by this additional weight in his car, as it could have been much more performing without this handicapping factor.

We have been overweight by 12 to 13 kilos throughout the season and we have not been able to reduce it at all.

This persistent problem bothered him throughout the season, during qualifying and races. The degradation of his tires and the behavior of his car were impacted by this additional weight. The on-track performances were not representative of the potential of the car according to Pierre Gasly. He estimates having lost three tenths per lap due to this excess weight.

The number of times we missed Q3 by a tenth or two, I probably don’t even remember it, about 10 times this season. And carrying all that extra weight in the race is like running with a backpack. You start with 12, 13 kilos too much, you carry them throughout the race and you still have them at the finish.

Pierre Gasly will embark on a new chapter of his career in 2023. The French driver will be competing for Alpine, a major change after six seasons under the Red Bull umbrella.