Pierre Gasly bluntly claimed that the interviewer did not want him to answer a question posed about his recent wet-weather test at Magny-Cours during the official FIA press conference at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Alpine driver took part in a two-day test at the French circuit — which was home to the French Grand Prix between 1991 and 2008 — between the Miami Grand Prix and the trip to Montreal, stating it would have “shocked” his fellow drivers.
Driving on behalf of F1’s sole tyre supplier, Gasly was putting the full-wet compound through its paces in his home nation, but did not appear to be impressed by what he experienced.
Sitting alongside George Russell and Arvid Lindblad, when it was put to him that the test could prove useful, given the weather forecast for the round at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the 30-year-old had a word of warning for them.
“You guys are going to be shocked,” the one-time grand prix winner told media, including ApexF1News.
“I’m glad I’ve done these two days, yes. It’s going to be interesting for you guys.”
Racing in the wet has plagued F1 for several years, and Pirelli has struggled to produce a tyre suitable for such conditions, although that says more about contemporary F1 cars than it does about the supplier.
Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, which was moved forward to avoid expected torrential conditions, Gasly joked that he needed to have an “underwear change every lap” when he drove the A526 at Silverstone in the rain before the season began.
“I’ve had Silverstone, 20th of January, which was memorable, and I think will stay with me forever,” he added. “But Magny-Cours was also something, so…”
When pressed on what made it so challenging, and whether it was the torque of the new F1 cars, Gasly curtly interjected: “You don’t want me to answer that question.”
