While Daniel Ricciardo qualified a surprise fourth Gasly is simply eleventh on Sunday’s grid, whereas his team-mate Esteban Ocon struggled much more, and couldn’t higher sixteenth in Q1, earlier than gaining a spot from a grid penalty for Yuki Tsunoda.
Gasly, who drove for Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri in Mexico Metropolis 5 occasions between 2017 and 2022 – ending as excessive as fourth two years in the past – urged that the Faenza crew has a really particular strategy to the observe, one that provides it a profit over rivals, with information suggesting that whereas the AT04 was missing in comparison with rivals on the straights, it’s significantly robust in corners.
“[I’m] simply upset with the general efficiency of the automobile as a result of we have now simply been not performing in comparison with all the blokes we’re preventing with normal,” Gasly stated of his qualifying session.
“I’ve my concepts on why we’re not aggressive and why AlphaTauri is aggressive, for instance.”
Requested to develop he stated: “I will not touch upon that. However there are a few apparent issues and stuff that I’ve already instructed the blokes, which value us in Sector 1.
“I imply it is stuff that even you possibly can spot from onboard. You guys watch onboards, and also you perceive fairly simply.”
Requested by Autosport to clarify what his former driver had meant AlphaTauri chief race engineer Jonathan Eddolls confirmed that the crew did have a particular deal with the Mexico Metropolis circuit.
Photograph by: Pink Bull Content material Pool
Jonathan Eddolls, Chief Race Engineer of Scuderia AlphaTauri
“We at all times take a look at the traits of the observe,” stated Eddolls. “And we do that each week, each occasion, however there are particular occasions the place we include as an instance, a baseline setup that is a bit totally different to regular. So a Monaco, a Singapore, or Baku specifically.
“And right here, and I assume over time, it appears that evidently the automobile mechanically is excellent. So everybody’s combating grip, so in case you’ve bought a superb automobile, mechanically, that helps.
“And as I say, with our aero package deal right here, yeah, we have not fairly bought the effectivity of a few of the others however for this observe, we have got the load within the corners. And it does swimsuit this this occasion however yeah, we do come right here with a few of this a bit standout.”
He added: “Simply varied issues on the mechanical facet, actually, primarily on the mechanical facet.”
Eddolls acknowledged that the Honda energy unit can be very efficient in Mexico.
“I feel that the Honda engine does appear very robust, even at altitude,” he stated. “I am positive all groups are dropping some efficiency in comparison with if we have been racing this observe at sea stage however we’re speaking fairly small numbers with Honda.
“I am unable to converse for others. However the Honda engine we all know is powerful, [and has] good drivability. And I feel it manages these altitudes nicely.”
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri AT04
Eddolls stays assured that Ricciardo can put in a powerful efficiency within the race.
“The great factor is we have got a automobile that is clearly fairly fast within the sections the place there are corners,” he stated. “So the hope is that does hold the tyres alive.
“Persons are speaking it is between a one and a two cease right here. So in case you can hold the tyres alive and make the one-stop work – I feel we’re in good stead after we take a look at the qualifying lap, in comparison with even [Max] Verstappen and [Charles] Leclerc.
“The one place he misplaced any time was as much as Flip 1, from there on, he was almost the identical as the opposite two.”