Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso, Circuit de Catalunya, 2018

Gasly tore his race suit on Halo winglet

2018 F1 season

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Pierre Gasly said he tore his racing suit on the winglet which had been fitted to his Halo when he got into his car during today’s test.

“I don’t like it, it’s just a big mess to get in the car and get out,” he told media including RaceFans after today’s test. “My suit is already broken.”

Esteban Ocon, Force India, Circuit de Catalunya, 2018
2018 F1 pre-season testing day two in pitures
“It’s only the first day and I have many holes on the back,” he explained. “You have to be a lot backward to slide in the car, it’s quite weird. Now with all the winglets you have on the Halo you cannot really pull to get out, you can’t really touch it.”

“It’s quite weird conditions but nothing really important,” he added. “I just prefer the old cars, that’s it.”

The Toro Rosso driver admitted he isn’t a fan of the new development but said it didn’t cause him any problems once he was behind the wheel.

“To drive with it, it doesn’t make a big difference,” he said. “In terms of visibility it’s the same.”

“Of course you see something on top of you which is a bit weird. But when you start to drive you are so focussed, you just pay attention to your driving, you don’t really see it.”

Getting out of the car is also “quite a big challenge” and could slow drivers’ escape in an emergency, said Gasly.

“It could take longer, that’s for sure. [But] it doesn’t worry me because I don’t think about any bad things. For sure I think it will be longer to get out, that’s what we have for this year. I don’t know if we’ll have it for the next couple of years but we’ll have to get used to it.”

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Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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25 comments on “Gasly tore his race suit on Halo winglet”

  1. To anyone wondering whether he’s actually more eloquent in his mother tongue: nope, he isn’t.

    1. Meaning he’s rude?

      1. No, he has a penchant for very simple language. I was a bit shocked when I first heard him give an interview in French. It’s not as obvious here, but I think it’s shining through.

        1. You prefer PR language or just an honest opinion?

          1. Geometrically speaking, your question is orthogonal to my remark.

    2. Does anyone really expect a 22 year old kid, who has done nothing but excel at driving racing cars his whole life, to be a magnificent orator?

  2. Nice to hear a driver speak his mind, rare these days especially from a rookie but I like Gasly already.

    1. Agree. I despise this thing, but it’s going to take someone like Hamilton ripping it before they consider its removal.

  3. Get used to it. Anything to do with F1 designers, by this time next year it’ll be like a Red Bull front wing, with 30 winglets on it!
    Or is the wing a cunning plan by Honda to stop him talking about the engine?

    1. @bullfrog He was fairly positive about the engine, actually, will try to get that written up later.

  4. I mean, that’s not really something to hold over the halo, that’s teams being opportunists and it having adverse effects

    1. they are clinging to the most ridiculous things to “attack” it.

      Is here to stay, unless something better replaces it, just get over it already.
      Too much “non-news” regarding the halo

      1. Maybe the lesson is that the Halo stays clean without any winglets and other strange contraptions. If it’s the rule everyone has the same Halo . Design a car that do not need strange things on the halo: Ferrari and Red Bull can.

        1. Ah, Ferrari already put a winglet it seems.. that leaves Red Bull ;)

      2. @hahostolz , @johnmilk that’s funny, because the only silly remarks made here, are from you two…

        1. Are you entertained?

  5. Am I the only one who prefers last season’s driving suit color scheme, which is the same as the car livery color scheme?

  6. Good job they don’t race in space.

  7. Unforseen consequences of the winglets, strange decision by the fia.
    Can a driver compete in fia events with a torn suit? Imagine, 5 mins for race start, winglet ripps my suit, what do I do?

    1. Winglets ripped my flesh!

      1. “It’s only the first day and I have many holes on the back,”

        The FIA will institute a rule that if you’re on the podium… “Don’t turn around!”

  8. I heard the tear was ghastly.

  9. Children moaning and groaning. What’s changed?

    1. petebaldwin (@)
      28th February 2018, 12:26

      How to sound old and bitter in one easy step…. :D

  10. How did he get holes in the back of his suit from something attached to the Halo? I don’t understand.

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