MELBOURNE.- With so much change in the regulations of the Formula 1 By 2026, “no one will be ready in Melbourne” for the first Grand Prix of the season that begins this weekend, the French driver assured AFP. Pierre Gaslyteammate of the Argentine Franco Colapinto in Alpine.
ASK: Do you consider, as some drivers say, that the new cars are less fun to drive?
ANSWER: “It’s still too early to judge. We’re F1 drivers, we want to go as fast as possible, so when you go through a corner at 250 km/h last year and this year you have to go through it at 220, it’s not the same feeling. It’s not necessarily worse, it’s just a different challenge.
Driving the car is still extremely exciting. The only thing that’s a little harder to swallow is the whole electrical part, which has a huge impact on performance. “That requires a lot more management than before.”
Q: How were your preseason tests?
R: “Overall, I think we did some pretty productive testing and covered more or less what we needed. But no one is going to arrive in Melbourne prepared!
The tests also made us understand that there will be quite a few unknowns in the first race weekends, especially with energy management, how the engines are going to react, start procedures, pit stops or when the conditions are different. For example, we haven’t ridden in rain, so if a deluge falls in Australiait’s going to surprise more than one.”
Q: Do you think the new regulations are going to change the hierarchy in F1?
R: “We won’t see it until after three or four races, but it is quite surprising to see that the four leading teams (McLaren, mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari) remain ahead, also knowing that they are the ones with the least time in the wind tunnel. If they had the same time as everyone else, what would it mean, three seconds ahead? “It’s surprising.”
Q: Where is Alpine in that hierarchy after last place in 2025
R: “We are better than last year, but to know the exact hierarchy it is too early. At the moment, it seems that there are two championships and the difference is quite big between the best and the rest of the peloton. It seems that we are in that peloton, but we will have to confirm it in the first weekends.”
Much work ahead
Q: What is the goal of the team?
R: “For the team, the objective is to lead that peloton. And then, try to look ahead, reduce the gap with the top four teams. This year, the starting point will not necessarily be the most important thing. Instead, the development of the car is going to be crucial. I think the hierarchy is going to evolve a lot between Australia and the end of the first half of the season in Budapest in July.”
