Components 1 driver Pierre Gasly stated it ‘didn’t really feel proper’ to attend the Le Mans 24 Hours in informal clothes as he revealed his ambition to compete within the sportscar epic.
Gasly and Alpine F1 team-mate Esteban Ocon had been in attendance eventually week’s 92nd operating of the French endurance traditional, the place the Renault-owned squad made its Hypercar return with the brand new A424 LMDh prototype.
Frenchman Gasly had spent a big a part of his teen years dwelling in Le Mans whereas he was part of the French federation’s younger driver programme, and even accomplished his education in the identical metropolis.
Returning to La Sarthe because it performed host to the fourth spherical of the 2024 World Endurance Championship on June 15-16, the 28-year-old stated there was one thing off about watching the race from the sidelines.
Talking to Eurosport on the beginning grid, the one-time grand prix winner expressed a want to pay money for a aggressive automotive and struggle for outright victory at Le Mans within the coming years.
“I believe it’s each child’s dream,” he stated. “I watched this race since I used to be that tall [pointing to the ground].
“I truly lived 5 years in Le Mans, I studied right here, and I’ve received a really shut proximity with this metropolis and this monitor.
Photograph by: Alpine
“For certain, it will likely be a dream to win Le Mans someday. We are going to see. For now, I am totally targeted on Components 1 and it is not likely within the pipeline.
“However positively seeing these guys out in the present day however simply carrying regular sneakers and denims simply would not really feel proper, so hopefully someday I can be in an excellent automotive to take part in Le Mans.”
Gasly is the most recent F1 driver to have publicly talked about his dream of racing within the blue riband spherical of WEC.
World champion Max Verstappen lately revealed that he had been contacted by a variety of groups concerning an entry into Le Mans, whereas Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was additionally eager on participating within the race with the Italian marque’s 499P LMH after watching the Prancing Horse rating victory in final yr’s centenary occasion.
Any Le Mans outing for an F1 driver within the close to future, nonetheless, has been dominated out by a calendar conflict, with subsequent yr’s 93rd version falling on the identical weekend because the Canadian Grand Prix.
Gasly stated he has a “lot of respect” for drivers who compete at Le Mans, with a gruelling schedule and changeable climate combining to make it one of many hardest races on the motorsport calendar.
“I discover it fascinating,” he stated. “I talked about it. I’ve received many pals racing right here truly which makes it even cooler as a result of I am on the grid and I am seeing a number of guys I raced towards.
“I used to be saying like, ‘4am, with one hour of sleep, it is going to be completely pissing down and it is going to be very excessive’.
“I believe now we have received to understand [them]. As a racing driver, I actually admire how laborious it’s and hopefully, individuals on TV can realise as nicely as a result of it is powerful.
“To focus for an hour and a half, it is a massive problem, however to focus for the total 24 hours and sharing the automotive…..
“These guys are the perfect to clarify it, however [I have] a number of respect for these guys.”
Alpine had proven promising tempo initially of the 2024 WEC season with its pair of A424s run by the manufacturing facility Signatech workforce, however its Le Mans look was lower brief after each automobiles suffered engine failures within the first six hours.
