Pierre Gasly ‘so happy’ as he lines up P4 in Bahrain after ‘very special lap’ in Qualifying

Pierre Gasly was thrilled to score an eye-catching P5 in Qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix – which later became P4 following grid penalties for the Mercedes cars ahead – with the Frenchman hailing a “very special lap” as he looks to claim Alpine’s first points of the season on Sunday.

Things looked promising for Gasly during Q2 after setting the third quickest time of the segment – and he continued this trend by securing fifth place in Q3, putting him ahead of the likes of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen in sixth and seventh respectively.

Following the news after the session that Mercedes’ George Russell and Kimi Antonelli had each received a one-place grid drop for failing to follow the Race Director’s instructions, this moved the pair to third and fifth respectively, promoting Gasly up into fourth place.

Speaking to the media after the session – and prior to those penalties being announced – Gasly was reminded of his contrasting fortunes at the Bahrain International Circuit back in 2024, where he lined up in 20th and last place.

BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - APRIL 12: Pierre Gasly of France driving the (10) Alpine F1 A525 Renault on — Gasly is aiming to score Alpine's first points of the season in Bahrain after a strong performance in Qualifying

“I actually forgot that!” the 29-year-old laughed. “A very different picture. I’m so happy, honestly – it was a very special lap in Q2, in Q3, when you get this excitement coming out of the last corner after your lap.

“I just knew it was good, but didn’t expect to be that good relative to the others. I’m just very happy for the whole team because it hasn’t been easy, these first few races, and even this weekend honestly it has been quite tricky.

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“Even in Q1 I didn’t feel fully comfortable in the car, but step by step [and with] little things, we managed to really pull that out. [I’m] very pleased and excited for tomorrow.”

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Reflecting on the fact that he found himself in the mix with some of the frontrunning cars – and recorded a lap that was within a few tenths of polesitter Oscar Piastri’s effort – Gasly conceded: “That’s mad. Honestly, that’s crazy.

“Very close to pole, and even to P3 I think I was four-hundredths. When I saw that on the screen, I was a bit mad because you’re thinking it’s so tight, but I’m just pleased because it really shows there is potential in the car which I believe and I can feel.

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“I think the window is extremely narrow, but we do need those first points for the team so I’m looking forward to the fight tomorrow.”