Pierre Gasly said he ignored Toro Rosso’s orders for him to let Brendon Hartley past because there was “nothing to play for” in the race.
Gasly was told repeatedly in the closing stages of the race to let Hartley through, for a period of approximately eight laps. The pair eventually swapped positions with two laps to go.Hartely claimed he had to put a move on his team mate to get by, but according to Gasly he did eventually follow the instruction to cede position.
“I had to do it two laps to the end because I was running out of fuel,” he said. “I didn’t have any fuel left for the end of the race I was just cruising the two last laps.”
Toro Rosso should have let the two drivers race because they weren’t running inside the top 10, said Gasly.
“I just think if you are in this position you should race. Plus he was on new super-soft tyres, I was dying with my mediums.
“I just told them OK, if he is faster he can overtake me but for some reasons I don’t know he didn’t do it for 10 laps. But then after we were in such critical situation with the fuel that in the end I did it two laps to go.”
“I think it’s different if you are in the top 10, there is something to play for,” he added. “Today there wasn’t anything to play for in P11, P12, P13
“At the end I’m a racing driver, I’m here to race, that’s what I want and that’s what I like and that’s my perception of motorsport and how it should be.”
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Hartley said he didn’t try to force his way past Gasly because the team told him he would be let through.
“I was catching my team mate a great rate of knots and I asked what would happen. So there’s obviously three different answers I’m going to get. We’re racing each other, hold position or he’ll let you by. So I got the call that he would let me by.
“I’m also defending the car behind and trying to look after my tyres. So I didn’t attack, expecting to be let by on four or five occasions which didn’t happen. The rest I don’t know.
“But in the end I made the overtake cleanly, destroying my tyres in the meantime. But nevertheless it didn’t bring a point.”
Nonetheless Hartley, who finished over 20 seconds behind the last of the points-scorers, said he was pleased with his performance.
“I’m really happy with the effort and did the overtake regardless. But P11, it’s a bit frustrating not to finish P10. There wasn’t many retirements today in front of us and. Honestly I’m really proud of this race it’s just annoying not to have a reward for doing a good effort.”
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Excerpts from Hartley and Gasly’s team radio messages
| Hartley: | OK I’m getting pretty close to Gasly guys. |
| To Hartley: | We’re looking at it, stand by. |
| Hartley: | If I don’t get by I’ll get passed by Sainz. |
| To Hartley: | Driver swap, driver swap. |
| Hartley: | Yep, he didn’t do it. |
| Hartley: | What’s going on, guys. |
| To Hartley: | Turn four driver swap, turn four. |
| To Gasly: | Driver swap turn four now, we need to do it. Stay in front of Sainz. |
| Gasly: | I can’t they’re [censored by FOM] too close, can’t you see? |
| Hartley: | Mate is he going to let me by? What the [censored by FOM]’s going on? Mate he’s holding me up so much. |
| To Hartley: | Use anti-deploy middle sector. Use anti-deploy middle sector. Get close to him. |
| Hartley: | Mate I’m right up his [censored by FOM] [censored by FOM]! |
| To Gasly: | You have to let Hartley by as soon as possible. |
| Gasly: | [Unclear] cannot race. It’s not like we are fighting for the win. He can overtake me if he’s faster than me. I’m medium tyres, he’s on super-softs, sorry but he can’t overtake me, my tyres are completely damaged. |
| To Gasly: | Pierre, swap at turn one. |
| Hartley: | So what’s happening guys? I’m not attacking him because you say he’s letting me by and then he [censored by FOM] doesn’t do it. |
| Hartley: | Mate I’m so close to him guys come on. |
| To Hartley: | We are asking for turn four again we are asking for driver swap turn four. |
| To Hartley: | Good job… |
| Hartley: | Sorry about the language on the radio but the thing is… |
| To Hartley: | That’s OK, leave it behind you, don’t worry. |
| Hartley: | Otherwise if you said we would race I would ahve attacked but anyway. |
| To Hartley: | Turn the car off, that’s OK. |
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2018 F1 season
- F1 feared “death knell” for Drive to Survive after Ferrari and Mercedes snub
- McLaren staff told us we were “totally crazy” to take Honda engines in 2018 – Tost
- ‘It doesn’t matter if we start last’: How Red Bull’s junior team aided Honda’s leap forward
- Honda’s jet division helped F1 engineers solve power unit problem
- McLaren Racing losses rise after Honda split
Steven Robertson (@emu55)
11th November 2018, 22:50
Having max and Pierre on the same team might not be a great idea
Mad Eric (@mad-eric)
11th November 2018, 23:07
+1 Exactly my thoughts
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
11th November 2018, 23:33
@emu55: Could be fun to watch tho. If they put cameras in the RBR debrief room. But if Gasly is faster than Max in a few races, then the on-track cameras will be enough.
Nitzo (@webtel)
12th November 2018, 7:50
@jimmi-cynic
I said this a few months ago when RBR confirmed him as Max’s team mate–> having watched him this season so far, he didn’t really come across as a character who would budge so easily. His rant in Baku said it all.
My opinion stands vindicated. He is no push over but the fact that he got the RBR drive so early could well mean that he is the obvious No.2. Lets see for how long things stay that way.
If there is one thing that could unite them, its Honda-bashing.!!
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
12th November 2018, 8:07
@webtel: United we bash! But it’s not fair, Gasly has a head start
Nitzo (@webtel)
12th November 2018, 9:55
@jimmi-cynic
True but Gasly hasnt quite shown us his ‘bash mode’ yet. May be they’ll go one step ahead and brag about how good (assumption) Honda is compared to Renault !!
Looking forward to a unique partnership.
Aldoid
12th November 2018, 2:42
As I said about a week ago regarding these two: I see plenty of full contact, Red Bull on Red Bull action in the future. Marko & Horner are going to have their hands full.
Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
12th November 2018, 10:40
as might the mechanics….
Chaitanya
12th November 2018, 5:33
Just get bucketloads of popcorns for next years race weekends.
Rockgod (@rockgod)
12th November 2018, 6:29
Not for RBR, but great for people watching though :-)
I foresee tons of bleeped-out radio messages about each other next season.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
12th November 2018, 8:56
@emu55 they’re friends, although that might evaporate quickly once things get serious
Fudge Kobayashi (@)
12th November 2018, 10:40
+1
Two spoilt brats in a frontrunning (hopefully) car would be mouthwatering entertainment!
OOliver
11th November 2018, 23:38
Sigh!
@HoHum (@hohum)
12th November 2018, 0:09
Good move by Gasly, proves he has what it takes for F1, that is being a greedy, selfish little (censored).
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
12th November 2018, 7:56
I guess that next season Gasly won’t mind if the Toro Rosso driver’s take their time moving aside when the Blue Flags are being waved.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
12th November 2018, 8:28
I understand completely where Gasly’s coming from. It was the final laps of the race, they’d run their strategies and in a sense that should have been it. Moreover, he was at a disadvantage partly because he’d trounced Hartley in qualifying again, which meant he got into Q3 and therefore had to start on old tyres, unlike his team mate.
But there’s no getting away from the fact he’s completely in the wrong here. His team made a call and he refused to follow it. Hartley we never going to catch Perez for 10th in ordinary circumstances, but who’s to say Perez might not have slowed late in the race, which could have given Hartley an opportunity?
Hartley of course is going to play it for all he’s worth because he was told to beat Gasly to keep his seat.
Palindnilap (@palindnilap)
12th November 2018, 8:39
Gasly’s arguments were pretty awful. Verstappen will probably be the faster driver next year, but he will have his hands full with the spoiled brat contest.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
12th November 2018, 8:56
Some real Red Bull DNA they have
jenc (@jens)
12th November 2018, 9:13
Gasly Bonehead [facepalm]
Jere (@jerejj)
12th November 2018, 9:57
None of this (not even the radio messages) were broadcasted on the world feed.
Kris
12th November 2018, 18:13
Hmm, based on gaslys last 3 races, I’m not sure he is red bull material. If the under threat and slow hartley has been quicker in race trim on the last 3 outings and he doesnt get a drive next year, I dont see gasly lasting long in the top team.