Pierre Gasly said a post-race radio message to his Toro Rosso team was not meant to disrespect Fernando Alonso following criticism of his comment.
The Toro Rosso driver told his team “now we can fight” after taking the chequered flag fourth in Bahrain. Alonso used the same words two weeks earlier when he finished fifth in Australia.
McLaren split from power unit supplier Honda at the end of last season and switched to Renault. Toro Rosso now use Hondas, and Gasly said his comments were intended to praise the manufacturer’s efforts.“It was just a little joke, that’s it,” he said. “I think we need to give credit back to Honda. In the end, they have had a tough three years with McLaren and to finish P4 in our second race with them was just amazing.”
“So it was a way to give them credit, because they are working really hard and I think they need credit for the hard work they are doing.”
Gasly revealed his comments had prompted a backlash. “I had pretty tough messages after the race, by some Spanish people, what actually are quite crazy.
“I have huge respect for Fernando so I’m just making it clear. Don’t get me wrong. Fernando for sure is one of the best drivers of all time in Formula One, and one of the drivers I looked up to when I was young, one of my idols actually.
“No, I have huge respect for him, so it was nothing related, just a high comment for Honda because I think they deserved the credit.”
2018 F1 season
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- ‘It doesn’t matter if we start last’: How Red Bull’s junior team aided Honda’s leap forward
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- McLaren Racing losses rise after Honda split
- Ricciardo: Baku “s***show” was Red Bull’s fault
Todfod (@todfod)
12th April 2018, 10:16
Good reply from Gasly. Good on Honda and Toro Rosso for getting that result. Fair play to them for getting the best ever result with a Honda engine in the past decade. It’s a long season, and judging by Toro Rosso’s cheeky comments starting from pre season testing, we could have a little verbal battle on between McLaren and Toro Rosso throughout the season.
ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
12th April 2018, 10:19
The Great Gasly: “Fernando is my idol when I was a little kid.”
That was mean, man…
Phylyp (@phylyp)
12th April 2018, 12:08
@ruliemaulana – ha ha, too funny 😃
@RB145 – oh, you get fans ( good) and fanatics (bad*) everywhere. It is just a reflection of their character.
* not the F1 Fanatic kind 😊
RB145
12th April 2018, 11:14
What kind of ‘fans’ cant appreciate RIVALRY and banter… in SPORT. I mean come on.
Good response from Gasley.
Makana (@makana)
12th April 2018, 12:26
New age PC lame brigade.
Matt
12th April 2018, 13:03
Rule number 3, Never apologise to the mob.
So what if he was making fun of Fernando, Fernando is a grown man and has thick enough skin that he can take a bit of banter.
Hamilton keeps on apologising to the outrage mob and everytime he does it he looks weak, pandering to the outrage mob is a critical mistake.
Joao (@johnmilk)
12th April 2018, 13:45
He didn’t apologise, he said it was a joke.
He can still have respect for some traits of someone and make jokes about them still
It was an adequate comment for the situation, hope there will be more in the future
AJ (@itsanewday)
12th April 2018, 14:24
Are we not going to see all the radio messages this season like we did last?
Kevin (@lothe)
12th April 2018, 14:29
Gasly finishes P4, then receives backlash for a basically innocent off-the-cuff remark. He really HAS arrived in F1!
Joao (@johnmilk)
12th April 2018, 15:02
He did however said from whom those comments came. The Spaniards, certainly fuelled by the not biased at all coverage that they do over F1.
A quick search and you can see how personal they took the remark, and how they consider it to be an attack at Fernando.
I agree with you, but in this instance I wouldn’t pay much attention to it
@HoHum (@hohum)
13th April 2018, 1:25
@johnmilk, I couldn’t be bothered searching for any information about people who think using FAs own words in the same (only better) situation was an attack on or insult to FA, it could more easily be argued that it was a compliment or tribute to FA but really it was just a bit of fun that probably bought a wry smile to FAs face when he heard about it.
dubsix (@dubsix)
12th April 2018, 15:02
Wow, colored me surprised, didn’t know Fernando had so many little spanish girls as fans. Nice to see the sport reaching the pre-teen crowd.
Sumedh
12th April 2018, 16:02
First time someone has said “Honda had tough three years with McLaren”. Usually, it is always said, “McLaren had to endure tough three years with Honda”.
That to me is a big change in how the Honda-McLaren years are being perceived by others.
ajpennypacker (@ajpennypacker)
12th April 2018, 18:00
He was clearly taking at jab at Fernando and it was just a continuation of the TR approach of encouraging Honda by rubbing good results in Mclaren’s nose. As F1 fan I think it’s great to see these kind of ribbing. As a Mclaren fan it also annoyed me, but not because it was wrong, but because they were 4th, so I say bring it on. The more rivalries on track the better. The last thing we need subservient relationships like the once Ferrari always creates amongst their drivers.
Joseph (@bigjoe)
12th April 2018, 18:20
@ajpennypacker
It’s good to see light hearted ribbing but the trouble with this kind of banter in F1 is that everyone/most in F1, including fans, journalists tend to be uptight and egos involved so the obvious joke rubs the opponents up the wrong way. For example Alonso’s “Replica Ferrari” comment looked to me as classic workplace humour probably being bandied around the garage by his coke-head mechanics and he was carefree enough to repeat it.
Would it really be a surprise that the lads in the garage all have banter/p#ss-take type names and references to other teams?
Maybe the TR lads refer to the McLaren as ‘The Orange Lemon’
Look at Formula E where they sort of try to manufacture rivalry and it turns out quite good hearted and almost like the drivers are all part of a bigger team for the series, not individual egos and certainly not up their own back sides. And Formula E doesn’t have that bitter fan base, often due to them feeling hard done by in the past.
It was probably just those Spanish idiots in Afro wigs getting upset.
Joseph (@bigjoe)
12th April 2018, 18:22
@ajpennypacker
It’s good to see light hearted ribbing but the trouble with this kind of banter in F1 is that everyone/most in F1, including fans, journalists tend to be uptight and eg@s involved so the obvious joke rubs the opponents up the wrong way. For example Alonso’s “Replica Ferrari” comment looked to me as classic workplace humour probably being bandied around the garage by his c@ke-head mechanics and he was carefree enough to repeat it.
Would it really be a surprise that the lads in the garage all have banter/p#ss-take type names and references to other teams?
Maybe the TR lads refer to the McLaren as ‘The Orange Lemon’
Look at Formula E where they sort of try to manufacture rivalry and it turns out quite good hearted and almost like the drivers are all part of a bigger team for the series, not individual egos and certainly not up their own back sides. And Formula E doesn’t have that b1tter fan base, often due to them feeling hard done by in the past.
It was probably just those Spanish idi@ts in Afr@ wigs getting upset.
ajpennypacker (@ajpennypacker)
12th April 2018, 18:28
Whether light-hearted or hardcore contempt I want to see it all. If we suppress those expressions of emotion, we could end up with somthing odious and awful, like the Raikkonen we’ve had since 2014 always annoyed with the press, giving useless answers, and simply being an a…s
Keeley (@racey)
12th April 2018, 19:31
Fair play to gasley..
No malice in the comment..
Honda did a good job. Just a shame it didn’t work for McLaren..
Hope the toro rosso does well this weekend..