Few drivers’ mentality has been tested more in Formula One than Pierre Gasly.
When he was given the nod to be Max Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, he’d achieved his racing dream. But he was the first in a long line of drivers who failed to match the “Flying Dutchman”, and he quickly lost his drive.
The Frenchman has since got his career back on track, winning with Alpha Tauri and going from strength to strength with Alpine. It’s been an impressive display of mental resilience to come back from an event that would have broken many drivers.
And in part, he credits his newfound love of golf for his ability to keep a level head. Gasly said doing the “opposite” of Formula One has helped him succeed.
Pierre Gasly explained how doing the opposite of F1 has helped him as a driver
Gasly first picked up golf in 2022, as a latecomer to the game. Since then, he’s fallen in love, and he says it’s helped him on the track.
Speaking to CBS Sports in 2023, he said, “[In 2022], I started to really get into it and really enjoy and get that sort of addiction of trying to level up your game every single time you go there. I’m still far away from where I would like to be. I’ve gotten into that process where I really enjoy going out there and the game itself.
“Going outdoors. Using this time to socialize. I find it really amazing for your headspace mentally, psychologically, just for your focus which is really long in our sport in F1, but it’s so important in golf. There’s a lot of benefits from it.
“As an athlete, if you’re going to face someone else, there’s always going to be competition involved. There is the obsession for perfection. Anything I do, I don’t want to do it average. When I start to get into something, I really want to become good at it. I’ve become very competitive.
“I get pleasure in working on my golf game. It’s not in every activity that you do that you really get satisfied in the progress that you make.
“What I love about golf, which is very different from our sport, is that when the lights go off for us, we are in it for an hour and a half and there is not a single second where we can get out of focus away from what we’re doing.
“That intensity in golf, it is almost like the complete opposite where you have to be very composed and focused for a very short period of time. Get your focus away and then get back into it. You have to practice that. I can’t be wired for four hours. Sometimes it is great to practice the opposite of what you are doing because you still benefit from it when I get into a race and that moment where I have to … switch on.”
Being able to tune his focus on command when playing golf has helped Gasly sustain focus for hours on end in the car, and with that ability, he’s become one of the better drivers on the Formula One grid.
Golf handicaps of Formula One drivers
Gasly might be a massive golf fan, but he’s far from the best golfer on the Formula One grid. His handicap is reported to be around 20.
Charles Leclerc is also a newer golfer with a similar handicap to Gasly, sitting at around 18. Meanwhile, Alex Albon, whose partner is LPGA pro Lily Muni, is around a 15 handicapper.
Lance Stroll is among the better golfers in Formula One. He’s a 10 handicapper, and he grew up playing at prestigious clubs in Canada and often plays during the off-season.
But the best two golfers on the grid are recent World Drivers Champion Lando Norris, whose handicap is eight, and his good friend Carlos Sainz, who is of similar ability.
Gasly has some real work to do before he can catch them!
- READ MORE: Why Prince William said he would never play golf again after traumatic childhood incident
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