08/04/2019
NEWS STORY
Failing to make it through Q1 in Melbourne and subsequently finishing eleventh in the race, Pierre Gasly qualified thirteenth in Bahrain, going on to finish eighth.
Coming off the back his pre-season crash which ultimately compromised teammate Max Verstappen's programme, it is not the start the Frenchman wanted at Red Bull, a team not known for its patience, and the youngster admits that much of it is down to his struggle in finding the right set-up.
"I need to find some direction with the set-up and see how the engineers can help me to make it feel more suitable to my driving," he tells Motorsport.com. "Also on my side to see what I can improve in terms of driving style.
"I still feel like I cannot really do what I want inside the car," he admits. "It's just the fact that at the moment I just feel that I cannot really push, and the car doesn't react as I would expect. There is more potential, but we need see how we can unlock it."
Though he scored points in Bahrain, the late retirement of the Renault pair played into his hands.
"For sure I'm not satisfied," he admits. "I think there are some positives, but we are not where we want to be, and not where I want to be for sure."
Admitting, following the Bahrain test, that it was "quite difficult with the car", he said: "I think it's time to work with the guys, see what I can change, and adapt my driving to this car, which is pretty difficult and unpredictable."
"It was important for Pierre to have a strong race and he did that," said Christian Horner. "I thought some of his overtaking, particularly on Perez, was very impressive.
"His pace in clear air, particularly in the second half of the race, was strong," he continued. "So I think he will have taken a lot of confidence out of that. Once he starts qualifying further up the grid, life will get a lot easier for him.
"He raced competitively, he raced hard, he's had to overtake a few cars. He's been competitive in the second half of the race. He can take a lot out of this weekend and carry that into future races.
"It's a tricky car at the moment," he said of the RB15. "Our operating window looks quite narrow and I think Max has coped with that extremely well, and I think it's been harder for Pierre. That will come, I'm sure."