Pierre Gasly finished 45 seconds behind his sector two pace

Alpine's wet-weather specialist was faster than Norris through the chicane complex. Then he put dry tyres on.

Pierre Gasly's average sector two time was 1.257 seconds faster than Lando Norris's across their fastest laps. Norris won the sprint. Gasly finished eighth.

Key Finding

Gasly was over a second faster than Norris in sector two. He finished seventh places behind him.

The gap that didn't translate

GAS vs NOR — sector-by-sector breakdown

Sector two is turns 6–11, the chicane complex where Gasly found over a second. It didn't matter.

▲ GAS faster▼ NOR faster

S1: -0.787s · S2: -1.257s · S3: -0.316s

Key Finding

Gasly was over a second faster than Norris in sector two. He finished seventh places behind him.

Gasly stopped on lap twelve. Alpine fitted Medium tyres. The track was still damp in places—rain had stopped and started three times by that point—and Norris was still running Intermediates. Gasly's lap times immediately ballooned. His degradation rate went from minus 2.5 seconds per lap on Intermediates to plus 5.7 seconds per lap on Mediums.

That is not a typo. He got five and a half seconds slower every lap. Norris, who stayed out two laps longer before switching to Softs, went on to win.

Where Gasly was actually faster

GAS (Lap 7) vs NOR (Lap 4) — fastest laps compared

The orange line rises sharper through the middle sector—that's Gasly carrying more speed through the chicanes. It wasn't enough.

GAS (Lap 7)NOR (Lap 4)

Fastest laps: GAS Lap 7, NOR Lap 4.

Key Finding

Gasly was over a second faster than Norris in sector two. He finished seventh places behind him.

Alpine's problem wasn't the driver. Gasly averaged 108 seconds per lap on Intermediates. That put him in range of the McLarens, who were averaging 101 seconds. On Mediums, his average jumped to 131 seconds. Six laps on the wrong compound cost him 157 seconds relative to where his Intermediate pace would have kept him.

The calculation Alpine got wrong was simple: they assumed the track would dry. It didn't. Rain came back twice more before the chequered flag.

The pit stop that ended the race

GAS vs NOR — gap between them on every lap

Gasly's gap to Norris was 18 seconds at the start. After his lap 12 stop, watch it collapse to 64 seconds by lap 15.

GAS aheadNOR ahead

Final gap: NOR ahead by 6.0s.

Key Finding

Gasly was over a second faster than Norris in sector two. He finished seventh places behind him.

The forward problem for Alpine is this: they had a car that could challenge McLaren through Miami's slowest corners in mixed conditions. That advantage evaporated the moment they put slick tyres on a damp track. Emilia Romagna is forecast dry. If it rains, watch Gasly in sector two again.

Alistair Drum

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