Pierre Gasly has spoken of his heartbreak after losing what appeared to be a podium finish at the Monaco Grand Prix. The Alpine driver crossed the line in third place but was ultimately classified seventh after receiving two separate five-second penalties for exceeding the pit-lane speed limit.
While several drivers were penalized for the same infringement during the race, Pierre Gasly remains convinced that something was wrong with the speed detection system. The Frenchman has openly questioned the decision and believes he was denied one of the most important achievements of his Formula 1 career.
Different outcomes for Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly
Monaco delivered very different emotions for two French drivers. Despite being placed under investigation twice for separate incidents, Isack Hadjar secured the first podium finish of his Formula 1 career with Red Bull and escaped without any penalties.
Pierre Gasly, on the other hand, experienced the opposite outcome. Although he crossed the finish line in third position after a strong and aggressive race, the Alpine driver was demoted to seventh place because of two distinct five-second time penalties.
In both cases, the penalties were issued for exceeding the pit-lane speed limit, an infringement that affected several drivers throughout the Monaco Grand Prix. Alpine has already indicated, through executive advisor Flavio Briatore, that the team intends to exercise its right to request a review of the decision in the hope of restoring Pierre Gasly’s podium result.
“The dream of a lifetime was taken away from me”
The official result has left the 30-year-old Frenchman deeply disappointed. Having come so close to standing on the podium at one of Formula 1’s most prestigious events, Pierre Gasly admitted that the outcome was extremely difficult to accept.
“I am absolutely devastated by the race result,” he said. “I’m feeling so many emotions right now, not only after such a demanding weekend where we were often operating at the limit and pushing so hard, but also because the dream of a lifetime was taken away from me. That dream was to stand on the podium in Monaco, and it happened for reasons that I simply cannot understand.”
The Monaco Grand Prix is widely regarded as one of the most iconic races in motorsport, making a podium finish there particularly special. For Pierre Gasly, losing that result after the chequered flag only added to the frustration.
Pierre Gasly questions the speed detection system
The Alpine driver remains firmly convinced that he did not exceed the pit-lane speed limit and believes there may have been an issue with the monitoring system used during the race. He also pointed out that he activated the pit-lane speed limiter well before crossing the entry line.
“I know I was below the pit-lane speed limit and that I activated the limiter long before the line,” Pierre Gasly explained. “We also have a margin built in to avoid exceeding the limit, so I just hope they can properly review the situation and give us back the result that everyone in the team deserves.”
He also noted how unusual it was that multiple drivers and teams received similar penalties during the race, suggesting that there could be a wider issue behind the incidents.
“It’s certainly unusual that so many drivers and teams were penalized, so clearly something is not right,” he added.
Proud of the race despite the disappointment
Despite the controversy surrounding the penalties, Pierre Gasly remains proud of his performance and the work carried out by Alpine throughout the weekend. The Frenchman explained that he was already aware of the situation during the red-flag period and pushed as hard as possible to maximize the final result despite knowing that the penalties would be applied.
“I knew about the situation when we stopped for the red flag and I tried to push as much as possible to maximize the final result, knowing the penalty would be added. As for the race itself, it was intense and full of battles. We managed to pass Lando Norris into Turn 1 and then had to defend from him for much of the race.”
“At the second restart I overtook Isack Hadjar around the outside, so it was definitely a race I’m proud of and one where the team did a great job. I know the team has submitted an appeal, so I hope we will get the correct result.”
Looking ahead, Pierre Gasly intends to put the disappointment behind him and focus on the next challenge. “I’ll take a few days to relax at home and then focus on Barcelona. I’ll definitely remain motivated to fight for another strong result and continue our run of points finishes,” he concluded.
For now, however, the Monaco Grand Prix remains a painful memory for Pierre Gasly, who believed he had achieved one of the greatest moments of his career only to see it disappear after the stewards’ final decision.
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