Tensions are starting to emerge as the season comes to an end. And it’s happening among everyone: Red Bull, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Williams… And now Alpine too. Well, to a certain extent. Two months after the major restructuring internally, a new decision hasn’t been met with unanimous agreement among the drivers.<\/p>\n
During the Japanese Grand Prix, Esteban Ocon let his teammate pass in an attempt to overtake Fernando Alonso for eighth place, with seven laps remaining. However, since he couldn’t make the pass, Alpine asked Pierre Gasly to give the position back to Esteban Ocon. This led to a heated discussion with his race engineer.<\/p>\n
Pierre Gasly: \u00ab Wait, what the hell is this mess? Is this a joke? […] I was faster, I have less worn tires! If he hadn’t let me pass, I would have overtaken him anyway. \u00bb<\/p>\n
His engineer: \u00ab We discussed it in the office. Swap positions, please. \u00bb<\/p>\n
Pierre Gasly: \u00ab Are you serious? Are you serious right now? I was leading, I stayed in front for the whole race, and you let him undercut me, and then… \u00bb<\/p>\n
His engineer: \u00ab My guy, I’m not kidding, it’s an instruction that comes from the pit wall. Please do it on the next lap, at turn 16. \u00bb<\/p>\n
Once the maneuver was done, Pierre Gasly let his anger show by making several gestures with his hands, including one offensive finger. After the race, he stated that he deserved the ninth position more than his teammate.<\/p>\n
\nLa frustration de Pierre Gasly \u00e0 l’arriv\u00e9e du #JapaneseGP<\/a> \ud83d\ude33<\/p>\n
Le pilote Alpine a d\u00fb laisser passer son co\u00e9quipier pour la 9\u00e8me place, quelques m\u00e8tres avant de franchir la ligne \ud83c\udfc1 #F1<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/YnNrJBPTy4<\/a><\/p>\n