Pierre Gasly: "I didn't expect to be on the podium"

Pierre Gasly pulled off a mighty recovery drive in the first GP2 race at Hockenheim after dropping to twelfth after starting from the front row.

After a composed and committed drive, he came back to take a step on the podium and keep his lead of the championship.

"I stalled. I got anti-stall, pulled back the clutch and released, and got anti-stall a second time, and then started but I was already far back and had a messy first lap, was in the wrong places in the corners and went off the track at Turn 8, and then I think I was P12," he said. Not an easy start."

Despite his first lap woes, Gasly was determined to regain focus and push on. 

"After the first lap I was really upset, because you know when you go back to P12 in the first lap of course you can't be happy, but I thought okay it's done, just focus and maximise the rest of the race and try to recover as much as you can," he said. "Honestly I didn't expect to be on the podium because I thought it would be too difficult, but when I had clear air I thought just push and see how it goes."