Gasly to start Italian GP from pitlane after taking new power unit
Pierre Gasly will start Sunday's Italian Grand Prix from the pitlane after his AlphaTauri Formula 1 team opted to take a complete new power unit, including one specification change.
Gasly qualified sixth on Friday at Monza, only to pick up front wing damage on the opening lap of the sprint race, causing him to crash at Curva Grande.
With Gasly due to start Sunday's grand prix from last place on the grid, it prompted AlphaTauri to take advantage of the situation and take an additional power unit.
FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer confirmed in the build-up to the race that Gasly had taken a new engine, turbocharger, MGU-H, MGU-K, control electronics and energy store on his Honda power unit.
In addition, Gasly also took a new gearbox, all of which would typically add up to a back of grid penalty.
But Honda as has opted to fit a different specification of energy store, Gasly will now be required to start the race from the pitlane.
Gasly said after Saturday's sprint race that he knew it would be "very difficult" to fight his way back into the points, given the difficulty of overtaking at Monza.
"[I saw] Lewis [Hamilton] really struggle, he could not pass Lando [Norris]," Gasly said in the media pen at Monza.
"The same with the Alpines and Aston Martins were really close for many laps, but still no overtaking.
"We know it's going to be extremely difficult to come back. But at the end of the day, whether you finish P18, P11, P15, it is the same. It doesn't mean anything.
"We need to try everything to at least score a point."
Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri AT02
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
AlphaTauri is the only team to have scored points at every race this season, but is at risk of seeing that streak come to an end. Gasly's team-mate, Yuki Tsunoda, will start 15th on Sunday.
Gasly's front wing damage came after a touch with Daniel Ricciardo's rear wheel at Turn 1, eventually causing it to go underneath his car.
"I felt the contact with Daniel and straight after that I went on the radio to ask the team to let me know if there was something," Gasly said.
"Literally two seconds after that, the front wing went under the car and I went straight to the wall.
"I could see some sparks but I didn't know if it was the endplate which was scratching on the floor, or if it was actually the front wing which was fully dislocated.
"It was basically I think five or six seconds after the contact that it went under the car and that was it."
Related video
Archive: When F1's Italian GP no-overtaking proposal was rejected
Ricciardo: McLaren can “shake things up” to target Italian GP “glory”
Ellis named as replacement for injured Auer in Bathurst 12 Hour
DTM race-winner Philip Ellis will make his Bathurst 12 Hour debut this week as a stand-in for the injured Lucas Auer.
Winning MSR Acura "super lucky" with Daytona 24 gearbox scare
The Meyer Shank Racing Acura team was "super lucky" to win the Daytona 24 Hours despite its malfunctioning gearbox for most of the race, according to team boss Michael Shank.
Bourdais “surprised” Cadillac was beaten on pace in Daytona 24 Hours
Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac driver Sebastien Bourdais said he was surprised that the victorious Acura ARX-06 outperformed his new V-LMDh in the Daytona 24 Hours IMSA SportsCar Championship season opener.
Daytona 24: MSR Acura opens GTP era with win, Proton snatches LMP2 by 0.016s
Meyer Shank Racing scored its second consecutive victory in the Daytona 24 Hours in the first race for the IMSA SportsCar Championship's new GTP regulations, leading an Acura 1-2 finish.
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.