Pierre Gasly is hoping to "put right" his lack of F1 points scored in Australia as the sport returns to the country. It has been a solid start to the 2023 season for Gasly, with the Frenchman finishing his first two races for Alpine in ninth place. However, he has warned that the team will need to "immediately" be on the pace if they are to add to their points tally at the Albert Park Circuit.
Gasly ready for 'challenge' of Australian GP
"Albert Park is a great circuit and another different challenge for us this year," Gasly said ahead of the race weekend. "We've seen how we are at a conventional circuit in Bahrain, a fast street circuit in Saudi Arabia, and now we will see how we are at Albert Park, which is different in characteristics. "It's a fun circuit, quite bumpy in places and we have to be immediately on it if we're to come away with a satisfactory feeling and points on the board. "Australia is a place where I've not scored as many points as I’d have liked in my Formula 1 career, so it’s time to put that right this weekend." Gasly's only previous points finish at the Australian Grand Prix came in 2022, where he ended the race in P9.
Ocon on 'challenging track'
Like Gasly, fellow Alpine driver Esteban Ocon has so far scored four points in 2023, having claimed P8 in Saudi Arabia. Ocon admits that the Albert Park Circuit is a "challenging" venue, but is confident that the team are ready. "The track itself is fun and the changes made last year I think really improved the circuit with better overtaking opportunities," Ocon commented. "It's still a challenging track, both technically and physically, with a lot of changes of direction at low and high speeds. "We know braking stability, kerb riding and car agility will be important to the set-up of the cars. "It was good to have a week to recover and prepare, but I know the team is ready to go again and we can't wait to start our weekend in Melbourne."
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