Pierre Gasly feels bumps at US Grand Prix venue could pose a problem

Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly feels that the bumps at the Circuit of the Americas circuit in Austin could be "more severe" than the last time F1 visited the track.

Although F1's tire supplier Pirelli said that 40 percent of the track's length had been resurfaced last year, Gasly has reservations about the undulating tarmac at the circuit. Commenting on what drivers can expect, he said:

“Overall, it’s very interesting, although I think it could be quite complicated this weekend. Having watched MotoGP a few weeks back, the bumps which were already pretty bad last time we raced there, seem even more severe now.”

On how the challenges at COTA can be tackled, Gasly said:

“It will require some sort of compromise on setup, but we won’t really know until we get there. I’m not particularly worried about it, because our car is working well everywhere at the moment.”

Gasly is fresh off a productive run at the Turkish Grand Prix, where he finished sixth despite a penalty that many felt was undeserved. Commenting on his most recent outing, the 25-year-old said:

“What we can take away from the last race in Turkey is that our pure performance was really good, and in qualifying, we were fighting within a tenth of Ferrari and Red Bull. So, I was very happy with top five in qualifying. The race might have been even better without the penalty but finishing ten seconds off the podium behind two Mercedes, two Red Bulls and a Ferrari is really positive and it’s nice to confirm that we are nearer to the front of the field once again.”

Pierre Gasly of Scuderia AlphaTauri leads Lewis Hamilton during the 2021 Turkish GP. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Speaking of his experience so far at the American circuit, Gasly said:

“I’ve not yet had any great races in Austin, the best I did was 10th the last time we were there. In terms of driving, the track is really exciting, very fast and I particularly like the first sector which resembles Suzuka a bit. After that, the second sector is a bit slower and more technical.”

Commenting on performance targets for the US Grand Prix as a team, Gasly said:

“We just have to avoid any problems waiting to ambush us, so that we can continue to close in on Alpine in the championship.”

The young Frenchman also commented on a charity football match he played at the popular Olympique de Marseiile’s Velodrome stadium during his break, saying:

“It was to raise money for Didier Drogba’s charity and UNICEF. It was an incredible experience to be on that famous pitch and play with and against some real football legends. I’m pleased to say I scored a goal!”

As F1 heads to the first race of its transatlantic races this season, Gasly’s concerns about the circuit surface could be echoed by several others. The bumps at COTA have been a topic of discussion since the Turkish GP weekend and might play a role in determining the outcome of the race.