Jenson Button congratulates 27-year-old F1 driver for ‘great’ Las Vegas GP qualifying

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Jenson Button has congratulated Pierre Gasly for producing a ‘great job’ in qualifying for the Las Vegas GP after the Alpine driver took P5 as Formula 1 returned to Sin City.

Nevada has welcomed F1 back for the first time since 1982 for the first actual Las Vegas GP. It is also the first time that Formula 1 races on the famous Strip. But Gasly was one of many drivers to take the headlines during qualifying as Sergio Perez failed to reach Q3 once more.

The 27-year-old set the fifth fastest time with a lap just half a second slower than pole-sitter Charles Leclerc. Gasly’s lap was also just one-tenth of a second slower than 2023 champion Max Verstappen. That was the margin between Gasly taking P5 or starting on the front row.

Gasly came close to a front row start at the Las Vegas GP

Verstappen will join Leclerc on the front row of the grid for the Las Vegas GP owing to Carlos Sainz’s 10-place grid penalty. The Red Bull driver had the third fastest time in Q3 behind the Ferrari pair. Sainz’s penalty promotes Gasly to P4, starting beside Mercedes’ George Russell.

Esteban Ocon in the other Alpine car could only qualify in P17 after failing to make it out of Q1. His best time during the opening phase of qualifying was over half a second slower than Gasly’s effort. Ocon set a 1:34.834 in Q1 compared to his French compatriot’s 1:34.272 lap.

Button congratulates Gasly for the Alpine driver’s form

The Las Vegas GP marks the 10th time that Gasly has reached Q3 since joining Alpine ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season. His P5 in Q3 is also the 27-year-old’s joint-second best result so far. It matches his P5 in qualifying for the Miami GP and it trails his P4 for the Spanish GP.

What Gasly has shown during the qualifying sessions at the 21 rounds so far this season has often impressed Button. The 2009 F1 drivers’ champion also sought to share his praise with the Alpine driver after Q3 at the Las Vegas GP with a fifth career podium potentially on offer.

“Great job,” Button told Gasly on Sky Sports F1 (18/11, 09:36). “I mean, you’ve done this a couple of times this year. Put it up there in P4, so congratulations.”