Pierre Gasly Reflects on Monaco 'Fake' Podium Celebration
The Alpine driver explains why he went through the motions of a podium finish despite knowing a penalty was imminent.
Alpine driver Pierre Gasly has shed light on his peculiar post-race celebrations at the Monaco Grand Prix, revealing that he was fully aware he would be stripped of his third-place finish before he even stepped onto the podium.
Speaking on the sequence of events, Gasly explained that he had been informed of a looming time penalty during the closing stages of the race. Despite the knowledge that the result would not stand, the Frenchman opted to proceed with the traditional celebrations, including spraying the champagne and acknowledging the crowd, to honour the effort put in by his team.
For Gasly, the moment was about acknowledging the hard work behind the scenes rather than the final classification. He noted that in the high-pressure environment of Formula 1, moments of success—even those that are technically fleeting—are rare and deserve to be marked. By 'faking' the celebration, he aimed to give his crew the recognition they earned on the track, even if the stewards were set to demote him shortly thereafter.
This candid admission provides a rare look into the psychological management of drivers during race weekends, where the line between sporting reality and the spectacle of the podium ceremony often blurs. For Indian fans following the season on FanCode, incidents like these highlight the often-overlooked emotional toll of the FIA's post-race judicial processes.
Source: Motorsport.com