Bonus interview: Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 driver, live at Goodwood

The Alpine A110 future is an upcoming electric sports car concept from Alpine. Pierre Gasly describes it as an EV sports car with instant electric torque feel and strong handling balance for hill runs at Goodwood.

In an EV, electric power delivery can feel immediate because the motor can produce torque from low RPM. Gasly’s “comes at once” description is about how quickly the car responds when you apply throttle.

Silverstone is a famous racing circuit in the UK, known for high-speed corners and heavy braking zones. Gasly references it to compare the A110 experience, mentioning specific sections like Maggots Beckets to describe how much speed the car can carry.

“Drifting” in this context refers to intentionally letting the car rotate with a controlled slip angle while cornering. Gasly uses it to describe the A110 future’s playful, light-feeling balance that makes it easier to rotate through turns.

Mid-corner grip is the traction the tires have while the car is settled through the middle of a turn. Gasly says the A110 future has “quite a lot of grip mid-corner,” which points to good tire contact and balance during sustained cornering.

Maggots-Becketts is a famous sequence of corners at Silverstone, known for fast, flowing direction changes. Gasly uses it as a benchmark to explain how much speed a road car can maintain through a challenging section.

Drifting is a driving technique where the car is intentionally steered so the rear tires lose grip and the car rotates while maintaining control. In motorsport and performance driving, it’s used to manage traction and balance at the limit.

In Formula 1, drivers score championship points based on their finishing position in each Grand Prix. Reaching 500 points is a milestone that reflects consistent high finishes over many races.

Monza is a historic Formula 1 circuit in Italy, famous for high-speed racing and long straights. It’s often referenced as a major win venue because overtaking and speed are so central there.

A new engine in F1 usually means a major power-unit change driven by the sport’s technical rules. Engine updates can affect power delivery, packaging, cooling, and how the car is balanced for different circuits.

In Formula 1, a new regulation is a rule change that reshapes how teams design and develop their cars. When the rules change, teams often rework major systems to match the new technical requirements.

The constructor’s championship is the team (constructor) points battle in Formula 1, separate from the drivers’ championship. Finishing higher in the constructor standings reflects overall team performance across both cars.

Spa refers to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, one of F1’s most demanding tracks. It’s known for elevation changes and variable weather, which can strongly affect car setup and performance.

Monaco refers to the Monaco Grand Prix, a street circuit known for tight corners and low average speeds. It’s especially notable when results are “reinstated,” because penalties and steward decisions can heavily affect the final classification.

A restart in Formula 1 is when the race resumes after a pause, typically due to safety car or red-flag conditions. Positions can change at the restart, so Gasly is emphasizing he was in third when racing resumed.

McLaren is the Formula 1 team that builds the car Carlos drives. In this interview, Pierre Gasly is describing how the McLaren was quick across the weekend and how he managed the gap while leading.

A qualifying lap is the single fast lap (or laps) drivers run to set their position on the grid. Gasly uses the phrase to describe how focused he was on extracting maximum speed lap after lap while leading.

Braking is the act of slowing the car, but in racing it’s a precise technique involving braking points, pressure, and balance to maximize corner entry speed. Gasly highlights that he was “nailing” braking to stay fast every lap.

“Four tenths” refers to a time gap of 0.4 seconds between cars at the finish line. In F1, tenths of a second are meaningful because they can be the difference between defending successfully and being overtaken.

A chicane is a sequence of tight turns designed to slow cars and create a technical driving challenge. Gasly references a battle in a chicane, implying it’s a key overtaking/defending area where drivers can gain or lose time.

A Formula One race winner is a driver who finishes first in an individual Grand Prix event, not the overall season champion. Pierre Gasly emphasizes that winning a race is a rare milestone on the F1 grid.

Porsche is a German sports-car brand known for rear-engine handling and performance-focused engineering. In this interview, it’s mentioned as part of the kinds of cars Pierre Gasly has in his collection or is associated with.

Ferrari is an Italian performance brand with deep roots in Formula 1 and a reputation for iconic, high-performance road cars. The name is dropped as part of the list of brands Pierre Gasly is said to have (or be interested in) for his collection.

Aston Martin is a British luxury-performance brand best known for grand touring cars and motorsport heritage. It’s mentioned alongside other supercar brands when the host asks about Pierre Gasly’s road-car collection.

Renault is a major French automaker and motorsport brand with deep roots in Formula 1. In this interview, Pierre Gasly connects Renault’s legacy in France to his own upbringing and racing path.

Enstone is a town in the UK where many Formula 1 teams base key operations, including engineering and factory facilities. Gasly says the F1 team is based in Enstone and describes visiting frequently for the simulator and to work with different departments.

A simulator in Formula 1 is a high-fidelity driving and vehicle-performance setup used to help drivers and engineers develop setups, practice procedures, and evaluate changes without waiting for track time. Gasly specifically says he visits Enstone mainly for the simulator.

This refers to a Formula 1 regulation split where the car’s energy usage is divided between combustion (fuel) and electric power. Gasly says the regulation changed and that the power delivery is effectively half combustion and half electric, which affects how drivers manage power out of corners.

In racing, “driving efficiently” means managing energy and tire/brake wear so the car stays fast over a whole stint, not just for one corner. It often involves choosing when to push hard and when to take a slightly safer line to preserve performance for later.

“Back on power” is the moment you re-apply throttle after braking and/or corner entry. In lap-time terms, it’s about timing and how smoothly you get the car accelerating so you don’t upset traction and lose speed.

“g’s” are a measure of acceleration relative to gravity (1 g ≈ 9.81 m/s²). In cornering, higher g’s mean stronger lateral forces acting on the driver and car, which affects grip, steering feel, and fatigue.

An “F1 driver” is a Formula 1 driver, competing in the top tier of open-wheel racing. The role includes managing physical strain, race strategy, and car behavior under extreme loads and tight timing.

In motorsport, a “checklist” is a structured set of tasks a driver completes before sessions or race day. It helps ensure consistent preparation—car setup understanding, routines, and communication items with the team.

In racing, “driving style” describes how a driver uses the car’s controls—especially braking and throttle—to manage speed and traction. In F1, the differences are often very small but can still affect lap time.

“Break as late as you can” (i.e., brake as late as possible) is a racing technique where the driver delays braking to carry more speed into the corner. The goal is to maximize corner entry speed while still slowing enough to hit the right line.

“Go on throttle as early as possible” means applying power sooner after corner entry. In F1, doing this well depends on traction and balance, because too much throttle too soon can cause wheelspin or instability.