Pierre Gasly was the first to bring the new Alpine A523 car to the track and, after the session, shared his impressions on Sky Sports.
Pierre Gasly: “I’m absolutely delighted as this is a new challenge for me, I’m starting a new project with Alpine and now I have a lot of information to learn during pre-season testing. The winter dragged on for a long time, there were no races for three whole months, and this is a long time, although you also need to rest and recharge the batteries.
The feeling of flying the A523 is excellent, and everyone is happy that the machine is working properly. Although it is difficult to say how we look compared to the rest, because so far everything is relative. We don’t know who has what settings, engine operating modes, how much fuel is in the tanks, etc., but I drove 60 laps without any problems.
I was quite comfortable behind the wheel, I immediately felt the strengths and weaknesses of the car and I already know in which direction it is necessary to fine-tune it in terms of working with balance. Of course, I already want to get back to the cockpit as soon as possible, but now Esteban Ocon is on the track, and my turn is tomorrow afternoon. But while everything goes according to plan, I am satisfied with the work done.
I have already shared my preferences with the team, told them what needs to be worked on, but I will not go into details. So far, I really like that I was received very warmly in the team, and we worked quite productively in the off-season. Of course, I try to understand everything, understand the methods and approaches that are typical for Alpine, but so far I am very satisfied.
I feel that I am ready for the season and during the tests it is important to understand how great the potential of the A523 is and how we look against the background of rivals. In the meantime, we are fully focused on our work, and next weekend we will show everything that our machine is capable of.