Pierre Gasly delivered a standout performance under the Sakhir lights, securing a vital P7 finish for Alpine in the Bahrain Grand Prix and notching up the team’s first points of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Gasly was in fine form all weekend, qualifying a superb fourth and fighting valiantly throughout the 57-lap race.
Can Gasly turn the season around after the Bahrain GP?
Gasly’s result marked a notable turnaround in fortunes for Alpine, particularly after a disappointing outing in Japan. His pace in Bahrain was a sign of resurgence, as he kept his car solidly within the top 10 for the majority of the race, and even managed to fend off a charging Max Verstappen until the final lap.
Reflecting on the race, Gasly admitted frustration at losing P6 right at the end but remained upbeat. “At the moment it’s right after the race and it’s really annoying when you lose a place in the last lap, after just giving so much, like the last 20 laps trying to keep Max behind,” he said.
“It was a lot of pressure; it was barely out of the DRS, then after he just got in and I was keeping him just at bay for many laps but just ran out of tyre in the last few laps. It was just so close to the finish line but unfortunately couldn’t quite make it.”
Despite that late overtake, the Alpine driver was encouraged by the team’s overall progress.
“But, at the same time, I think it just shows how good of a weekend we had when we are fighting these guys. Looking at last week, we were struggling a lot, couldn’t make it to the points, Max was winning, and this weekend we actually were competitive and fighting him until the last lap.”
Gasly praised Alpine’s strategy and execution, crediting the entire team effort for the turnaround. “Very happy for the team to score those first points; very good strategy, good pit stops and the car was competitive, so hopefully we can build up on that.”
High hopes for the next races for Gasly after Bahrain GP?
The weekend in Bahrain offered glimpses of the team’s pre-season potential, after Alpine looked strong during winter testing at the same venue. Gasly acknowledged the importance of converting that early promise into tangible results.
“[In the] winter test [in Bahrain] we were very competitive, which actually got our expectations quite a lot higher than we’ve been able to achieve in the first few weekends,” he said. “It’s good to confirm that, coming back in Bahrain, that the car definitely works now.
“I think it’s important to get those answers and understanding [of] why here the car’s so good. I do believe we’re going to be able to reproduce this sort of performance on some other tracks, but there’s clearly a lot of understanding to go through over the next few weeks.”
With Alpine back in the points and Gasly at the heart of the fight, Bahrain marked a much-needed confidence boost. As the 2025 season picks up momentum, the Frenchman and his team will be eager to carry this pace forward into the next rounds.
