Alpine driver Pierre Gasly praised his team for "great execution" after securing a stunning third place at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Frenchman started 12th on the grid at Zandvoort but made the most of a chaotic opening to the race, where rain fell midway through the opening lap, to make his way up the grid - assuming third behind Sergio Perez and Zhou Guanyu after the early pit stops filtered through. A five-second time penalty for pit lane speeding left Gasly behind both Red Bulls, Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. But a move on Sainz at Turn 1 and a subsequent penalty for Perez after he sped in the pit lane added to a late red flag period for heavy rainfall left Gasly fourth on the road but being promoted above the Mexican.
Pretty upset with penalty
"What a race coming back from the summer break," said Gasly. "It hasn't been the easiest start to the year, just trying to improve race by race. "It was good to get some time off, come back and straight into it. We had a third place at Spa in the Sprint which wasn't a normal podium so happy for all the guys to get that P3. "I was pretty upset that I got a five-second penalty earlier in the race so I was like 'now it is one-one [after Perez was given his punishment]. "Then obviously I tried to push as hard as I could to stay within five seconds and I managed to do it. "It was a very long race managing from start to finish - it was great execution from all the guys."
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