British Grand Prix penalty set to be confirmed with driver braced for ’20-place’ grid drop

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly has revealed he is set to be hit with a grid penalty for this weekend’s British Grand Prix after exceeding his engine allowance for the F1 2024 season.

Following a disastrous start to the season, Alpine have shown signs of promise over recent weeks with Gasly scoring points at each of the last four races stretching back to the Monaco GP at the end of May.

Pierre Gasly set for British Grand Prix grid penalty

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Speaking to French television station Canal+, Gasly revealed that he was left requiring a new battery ahead of this weekend’s race at Silverstone after problems earlier in the year.

Alpine have taken the opportunity to give the Frenchman an all-new power unit for the British GP, with Gasly poised to start from the back of the grid as he takes his fifth engine after 11 races of the record-breaking 24-race campaign.

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He said: “We had to change the battery.

“We had a few little problems earlier in the season which meant that I ended up with a faulty battery, another where we had two or three alerts at certain times.

“So we needed to change the battery, which meant a 20-place penalty. We’re taking the opportunity to add an extra engine because I’ll have to start last in any case.”

Gasly announced at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix that he will remain with Alpine for F1 2025, having signed a new multi-year contract with the Enstone-based team.

The identity of Gasly’s team-mate for next season remains a mystery after it was confirmed last month Esteban Ocon will leave Alpine at the end of F1 2024, with the team heavily linked with outgoing Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz over recent weeks.

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at Silverstone, Gasly gave his approval to a move for Sainz, describing the Spaniard as “obviously the best option” available to Alpine over the likes of Jack Doohan and Mick Schumacher.

“Honestly, at the end of the day I’ll be happy no matter what.

“As a competitive person, I want the most competitive out there next to me and to push the team. I think they’re all three great options.

“Carlos has the added value of having a lot of experience and also experiencing strong teams, McLaren, and Ferrari lately. He’s got slightly more to bring, and is obviously the best option.

“But, looking at Jack and Mick, they’re both very talented, very fast, they both already included in the team, they know the guys. And I’m sure they’ll fit very well.

“I think it’s quite clear at the minute you’ve got more drivers and you’ve got seats available so some guys are going to stay on the sideline.

“I don’t think we’ll see a lot of movement until Carlos, who is the most valuable guy out there at the minute, takes a decision on where he goes.”

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