Formula 1 is so car dependent that Pierre Gasly reckons the best in history, Lewis Hamilton, would “finish last” in a Williams or Haas.
Formula 1 fans have long debated whether it is the car or the driver who makes the difference.
Without a doubt it is a case of the best cars are the ones competing at the front of the pack, but it is also the best driver – often out of two team-mates – who comes out on top.
Last season Max Verstappen out-scored his team-mate, Sergio Perez, by 200 points while Hamilton was 150 ahead of his, Valtteri Bottas.
Mercedes and Red Bull in turn were almost 300 points ahead of third placed Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship.
It has Gasly stating that because the car “makes” the results in Formula 1, even if Hamilton was in a back-of-the-grid Haas, which didn’t score a single point last season, he too would not be scoring.
“Unfortunately in our sport, the car makes the majority of the result,” thejudge13 reports the AlphaTauri driver as having told Mashup.
“Even if Lewis is the best driver in F1 history, today, in a Williams or a Haas, he would finish last.
“It’s not even that he would be third or fifth, he would be 18th or 16th.”
Last season Gasly added a third career podium to his tally, P3 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Frenchman also secured his maiden front row start, starting P2 at the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix. “Shocking” pace on the day, though, meant he finished outside the points in 11th place.
He’s hoping this season AlphaTauri build him a car that is capable of racing for top five results on a regular occasions, maybe even a few podiums.
But of course, that will depend on the car, the AT03.
“I will be trying to build on the run I had of very good results and to continue to be on top of my game with the car I have,” Gasly said.
“I really hope that this is a year when I can fight at the very front, to finish regularly in the top five and even higher if the car is good enough for that.
“Last year we came very close to fifth place in the Constructors’ and it would be super to achieve that this year. It’s too early to say if that will be possible but I will always give it my best shot and get the most out of our car.”
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