Toro Rosso driver Pierre Gasly says he will focus on improving his weaknesses and expects an even better performance in Japan after finishing 14th on debut in Malaysia.
The young Frenchman put in a solid drive at Sepang as he looks to maximise his opportunity to impress the bosses at Red Bull but conceded there was plenty to learn from his “special” first Grand Prix.
Thrown in at the deep end at perhaps the most demanding race for the drivers, Gasly wasn’t helped by a failure of his drinks bottle and an uncomfortable seat made it even harder but admitted the thrill of racing surpassed those problems.
“This was a special race for me, as it was my first ever Formula 1 race – a day I will never forget,” he said. “It was definitely a good experience, I’d say even better than what I expected.
“It was a really physical and tough race – my drink system didn’t work properly, the water was going all over my face and not in my mouth and so it felt like a long race, but with such a big adrenaline boost that I got, I just kept focusing until the end.”
Looking ahead to his second race this weekend at Suzuka, a circuit he has knowledge of as he has competed in Japan’s Super Formula this season, he spoke of two key areas he hopes to improve on.
“I think I need a bit more experience regarding tyre management – I struggled at the end of the race,” he revealed. “I also think I didn’t manage the blue flag situations perfectly – I lost a bit of time – but this will come with a bit more practice, I’m sure!
“I will now have a look back at the race and see all the things I can improve for the next race in Japan next week. All in all, I leave Malaysia satisfied, it was a positive race.”
As for Red Bull’s reaction to Gasly’s debut, Franz Tost, team boss of the junior team, was impressed by what he saw of the 20-year-old.
“Pierre did a fantastic job today – this was his first weekend with the team and he performed very well,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing him race again in Suzuka because it’s a race track he knows from the Japanese Super Formula championship.
“We now have to analyse why we lost performance here in Sepang in comparison to other circuits, but I’m convinced that we will come up with a proper solution and will perform better in Suzuka.”
It is thought the next race may be his last until at least the Mexican Grand Prix as the Super Formula season finale, also at Suzuka, falls on the same weekend as the United States Grand Prix with Gasly only half a point behind the leader in the championship standings.
