Gasly struggling with ‘unpredictable, nervy’ Red Bull F1 car

Pierre Gasly says a combination of issues have had a “snowball effect” and prevented him from driving his “unpredictable” Red Bull Formula 1 car as he would like to

The Frenchman endured another disappointing qualifying in Bahrain as he failed to join his teammate Max Verstappen in Q3 and ended up with only the 13th-fastest time. 

Gasly admits he has struggled to get to grips with his RB15 all weekend at the second round of the 2019 season in Sakhir, where he claimed a brilliant fourth place finish last year. 

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“I think since the beginning of the weekend we’ve been struggling with the rear of the car, especially in my car,” he explained. “We tried many, many things but it didn’t really improve, so I didn’t really feel comfortable in the car.

“I would say last year I really felt like I could do what I wanted with the car in Bahrain, and at the moment it just feels like I can’t really drive how I want.

“Sometimes I turn, nothing happens, next corner I will turn, I will lose the rear. It’s just really unpredictable at the moment.

“Probably need a bit more time and look at bit more with the engineers, [to see] what we can do to make it a bit more consistent to drive, so at least I can predict what’s going to happen because at the moment it’s more this unpredictability which makes it a bit difficult for me.” 

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Pressed on which areas he was struggling with specifically, Gasly replied: “Going on power it’s just really snappy and really nervous on the rear so makes the rear tyres overheating as well through the lap – increasing the degradation and the job of rear supports towards the end of the lap as well. 

“It’s just a combination of things, which has a bit snowball effect, the more you slide, the less grip you have. I just feel at the moment I cannot really do what I want inside the cockpit. 

“I think Max feels a bit more comfortable than me at the moment with the car. For sure we’ll need to work with the engineers and look what we can do to make it a bit more suitable for me.” 

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Gasly insisted he has received support from the Red Bull hierarchy amid his difficult start to the season following his graduation from Toro Rosso. 

“Helmut and Christian have been supportive, that’s what they say, we need time to understand what I need from the car and see with the engineers what we can do,” Gasly said. 

“I think for sure the car is probably not there where we would like it to be at the moment, I think it’s just a matter of understanding with the engineers what other direction we can take, and finding the sweet spot.”

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