Pierre Gasly cools ‘Monza 2.0’ talk as Alpine targets midfield lead in Baku

Pierre Gasly has played down expectations of a repeat of his Monza pole in Baku, insisting Alpine's target this weekend is to lead the midfield rather than challenge for the top spot. The Frenchman, who stunned the field at Monza three weeks ago, sees enough similarities in the two circuits to remain optimistic, but not enough to expect a "Monza 2.0."

Why it matters:

Alpine's performance in Baku will show whether its Monza pace was a one-off or a sign of genuine progress. With the midfield tighter than ever, every point counts, and Gasly's ability to extract performance on a track that demands both straight-line speed and low-speed grip could be decisive.

The details:

• Gasly used the slipstream to secure his maiden pole of the season at Monza, but Baku's 2.2km straight is even longer, while the rest of the lap is far more twisty.
• "The car is pretty much set up in a similar way as Monza," Gasly said. "It's a lot more corners, but I'm quite hopeful that we should be competitive. To the extent of doing a Monza 2.0? Probably not."
• Battery management is a key factor: drivers must harvest and deploy energy over the long straight, and any shortfall at the start of a lap could be costly.
• Windy conditions are forecast for Friday qualifying, adding another variable to an already tricky street circuit.

What's next:

Gasly will aim to put Alpine firmly in the mix for best-of-the-rest honours, with qualifying and the race both held on Saturday due to Azerbaijan's Remembrance Day. A clean weekend could give the team a valuable points haul and confirm its upward trajectory.