Gasly admits AlphaTauri "didn't expect" strong performance in Bahrain qualifying

AlphaTauri sent some shockwaves through the F1 midfield. At one point, it looked like Gasly might've pushed Red Bull Racing and Mercedes for a front-row spot on the grid, but in the end, the Frenchman had to settle for a P5. 

Unexpected

In pre-season testing, there were signs that AlphaTauri had their act together in the midfield battle. Friday practice placed Lando Norris and McLaren as the duo to beat for the 'best of the rest' position. Now it looks as if Yuki Tsunoda and Gasly himself are right in the mix for third place amongst the constructors. He insists he didn't expect his strong performance during qualifying. 

"Honestly, really happy with this first quali of the year. It's always good to have a good baseline and start the season in the best way possible. We didn't expect it honestly. We knew that we had a strong package but to quali in fifth position and especially go through on the medium in Q2. Hopefully a good advantage for tomorrow," Gasly told Sky Sports after the session. 

Yuki Tsunoda 

In Q1, Tsunoda was at the top of the timesheets. The Japanese driver is making his Formula 1 debut during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend and has already impressed his teammate. 

"He is doing a good job. It's his first race in F1. He has done a few mistakes here and there but when he manages to put it together, he is really fast," Gasly added.