A sudden twist in the Miami Grand Prix lineup has shaken the starting grid.
- Pierre Gasly finds himself at the back of the pack, starting from the pit lane.
- The late changes to Gasly’s Alpine car came after a breach of regulations.
- Gasly’s qualifying was marred by traffic, leading to a disappointing result.
- This grid adjustment affects Lance Stroll and Olvier Beaman, who gain a spot.
In an unexpected turn of events for the Miami Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly’s starting position took a hit as he was forced to begin from the pit lane. The shuffle in the starting grid stemmed from changes made to the suspension of Gasly’s Alpine under parc ferme conditions, a breach of the strict FIA Sporting Regulations. This infraction necessitated the repositioning of Gasly to the back end of the lineup, inadvertently providing an upward move for drivers Lance Stroll and Olvier Beaman.
Gasly’s journey to this predicament began with a disrupted qualifying session. Traffic played a significant role, as he encountered obstacles that confined him to a less favorable qualifying position of 18th. This was a first for Gasly since his exit in the Chinese Grand Prix during Q1. Recognizing the slim chances for scoring points, the team decided to adjust his car’s setup, leading to the breach of Article 40.9 b) of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations.
A statement from the stewards highlighted the infraction, noting, “BWT Alpine Formula 1 Team changed the setup of the suspension of Car 10 under Parc Ferme, this not being in accordance with Article 40.9 b) of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations. Car 10 is therefore required to start the Race from pit lane.” This penalty added another layer of challenges to Gasly’s season, following a previous incident in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix where he collided with former teammate Yuki Tsunoda, leaving him with seven points and in 12th place in the overall standings.
Gasly himself reflected on the situation, admitting, “It is not the qualifying result we had hoped for. We made a few changes to get the car in a better place for this session but in the end, we were not fast enough on all the runs so we need to analyse why we lacked in performance. There are some other details to look at, as the car did not feel the same as previously in the weekend. There was also a bit of traffic on my last run. I was the first to come out on my run and that meant I had traffic in the first sector.” He expressed the need for a team analysis to improve performance for future sessions, as they managed to gain a point from the Sprint Race despite the tough circumstances.
As Gasly prepares to tackle the Miami GP from the pit lane, the shake-up serves as a reminder of the intense scrutiny and regulations in the world of Formula 1.
