Pierre Gasly crashes out in Belgium FP2: ‘I don’t know what happened’

Pierre Gasly crashes in Belgium FP2: Alpine car clipped barriers

Pierre Gasly crashed out of the second free practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix on Friday at Spa-Francorchamps, losing control of his Alpine in the Fagnes section before clipping the right-rear barrier.

The 2020 Monza Grand Prix winner admitted he couldn’t explain the moment. “I don’t know exactly what happened there,” Gasly said. “The rear of the car suddenly slid out from under me; I had my hands full trying to regain control, and just as I felt I’d managed it, I was already off the track. I can’t explain that first slip.”

What happened?

A red flag flew at Spa-Francorchamps after Gasly’s Alpine drifted wide in the Fagnes complex, hit the kerb on the right, and spun into the barrier with his right rear wheel. Alpine team principal Steve Nielsen called it “a minor driving error” that turned serious only because of the track’s unforgiving kerbs and runoff.

Gasly’s car was beached in the gravel, forcing mechanics to strip it down for repairs. “Of course, that’s not how we wanted to end the day: with a car that’s fast enough for the top ten,” he said. “I’m sorry that I’ve caused my lads so much work.”

Why it matters for Pierre Gasly

Gasly’s crash came on a day Alpine had shown promising pace. He now faces a tight turnaround to get his car ready for Saturday qualifying, when he must deliver a lap strong enough to reach Q3.

Nielsen added: “It happened in a spot where that simply isn’t the case.” The team’s focus shifts from damage control to extracting every tenth from the package before the shootout.

What comes next?

Alpine will field Gasly’s repaired car in the third practice session starting at 12:30 pm local time on Friday. His target remains unchanged: a place in the top ten and a clean run in qualifying.

Gasly struck an upbeat note despite the shunt. “We’ve got the pace to make it into Q3, and that’s exactly our aim,” he said.