Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto explain what happened to their Alpine cars in Las Vegas.
But despite starting in the top 10, the Frenchman’s chances of scoring were over as soon as the race began, due to contact in the opening corner.
Gasly was hit and spun by Lance Stroll, who in turn had been hit by Gabriel Bortoleto, the Brazilian later handed a five-place grid drop for next weekend’s race in Qatar for causing the collision. The contact put Stroll and Bortoleto into retirement, but Gasly was able to continue – albeit with a heavily damaged car.
But the moment dropped him to the back of the field, and missing downforce, the Frenchman never looked likely to recover back up the order. He came home 13th, two places ahead of his team mate.
“I think it's more frustration, and I'm just sad for the [team] because I felt good in the car the entire weekend, in the dry, in the wet.
"We did a good Quali and I was looking forward to the race and I don't fully understand what Gabi [Bortoleto] tried to do there, but unfortunately, he crashed into Stroll, who touched me and spun me and broke the back of my diffuser, so a very long afternoon."
Gasly qualified third here last year and fourth the year before but has yet to score in Vegas. The one positive he was able to take away from the weekend was the pace of the car, however.
"I think we could have had the pace to fight for the top 10. We could have been able to be right there or right behind, but we've lost quite a huge amount of downforce with that [hit]. The diffuser was gone.
“So to be sure, there was quite a lot more pace, but we will never know. Definitely, it feels a bit annoying. It's been three years where I've had amazing Quali and then, in the race, it's never translated into a good race. I was really hoping that this year could be different, but that's not the case."