SHERIDAN, WYOMING – Dec. 4, 2024 – Pierre Gasly delivered a stellar performance at the 2024 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix, securing a fifth-place finish and valuable points for the team. Unfortunately, Esteban Ocon's race was cut short due to a first-lap incident.
Gasly Battles for Points in Action-Packed Race
Starting from P11, Gasly showcased his racecraft and determination, maintaining a strong pace throughout the race. A well-timed safety car period allowed for a strategic pit stop, putting him in contention for a top-five finish.
Gasly defended his position with skill, holding off Carlos Sainz in the closing laps to secure a hard-fought fifth place. His fastest lap of 1 minute 23.705 seconds further demonstrated his impressive speed.
"It was an incredible race today to finish in fifth place and I’m very happy for all the team," Gasly commented. "I felt like we managed the race well right from the beginning. It was a tough start but we had the pace to stay with Kevin [Magnussen] and once he pitted it was flat out for us lap after lap. In the end, with the Safety Car, we pitted for Hards and then had to keep Carlos [Sainz] behind all the way until the chequered flag. It was certainly an enjoyable race, the car felt good, we were competitive and I was quite confident to hang on to that fifth place. We go into the final round in the fight for the Constructors’ Championship and we have to be ready for it.”
Ocon's Race Ends Early After First-Lap Collision
Esteban Ocon had a promising start, moving up from his P20 starting position. However, his race ended prematurely due to a collision on the first lap.
"Unfortunately it was a disappointing weekend and a short race for me today in Qatar," Ocon explained. "I had a good start to the race and had passed Franco [Colapinto]; I was on the left side of Nico [Hülkenberg] but I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. It got very narrow and unfortunately, I was already on the outside when the collision occurred and our race was then over. It was a race incident and not something that we wanted today.”
Team Principal Praises Gasly's Performance and Team Effort
Team Principal Oliver Oakes commended Gasly's performance and the team's overall effort in securing valuable points.
"It was a well-managed and well executed race by the entire team today to score ten points in fifth place with Pierre," Oakes stated. "For Esteban he was caught in a Turn 1 incident, which was not his fault. The race was incredibly fast paced with a lot of action up and down the field. Pierre did well to stay in the pack in the hunt for points early on and then benefitted with the timing of the Safety Car, like many others, for his mandatory stop. He did an even better job to keep Carlos [Sainz] at bay for fifth place all while managing the tyres and doing some fuel saving. Importantly, we go to the season ending race in sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship with a small advantage and the target has to be to remain in that position.”
Looking Ahead to the Final Race
With the season finale approaching, the team is focused on maintaining their position in the Constructors' Championship. Gasly's strong performance in Qatar has provided a boost of momentum heading into the final race.
Keywords: Formula 1, Qatar Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Oliver Oakes, motorsports, racing, Constructors' Championship
Meta Description: Pierre Gasly secures a top-five finish at the 2024 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix. Esteban Ocon's race ends early after a first-lap incident.