Gasly Commits to Alpine, Eyes Formula 1 Success Despite Challenging Season
In a surprising turn of events, Pierre Gasly has opted to extend his contract with Alpine, proclaiming his faith in the French manufacturer’s ability to deliver him successes in Formula 1. Despite a tumultuous start to the 2024 campaign, which saw staff departures and rumors of a potential loss of works team status, Gasly remains optimistic about the team’s future prospects.
“I’ve seen enough in F1 that you cannot rely on a single-car concept,” Gasly explained. “McLaren has proved it in the last two years, and Mercedes also showed they sometimes get it right and sometimes get it wrong. It takes some time to get back to the top.”
The French driver believes that infrastructure changes and a fresh approach within the team will be critical to achieving success. “What I am seeing behind the scenes – with infrastructure changes and a fresh approach – is far more critical to sealing my belief in what Alpine can offer,” he said.
Gasly’s decision to commit to Alpine comes after months of deliberation, during which he closely observed the team’s dynamics and technical developments. He credits Alpine‘s leadership, including Luca de Meo and Bruno Famin, for instilling confidence in the team’s potential.
“Luca de Meo played a big part, as everyone is trying to defend what they have, and 2026 is also going to be a big change of regulations. It is why it took a bit of time before making my own decision,” Gasly revealed.
The arrival of Flavio Briatore as a consultant to de Meo did not influence Gasly’s decision, but the Italian’s presence is expected to bring a fresh perspective to the team. Briatore has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the team’s operations, which could mark a significant shift in direction.
Gasly is enthusiastic about the team’s potential, suggesting that Alpine can recover from its poor start to the 2024 season. “We talk a lot about the main figures of a race team, but when you see how many people are working back at the factory, finding the performance, finding the gains, in the wind tunnel, the CFD, mechanically… I’ve been going quite deep in the team in all the different departments and giving my input and working quite closely with them and trying to lead them to where I want,” he said.
With Briatore targeting a two-year turnaround to get Alpine back near the front of Formula 1, Gasly remains hopeful that the team can achieve its ambitions. “I am an optimistic person and a positive person, and I definitely welcome anyone who is coming to contribute positively to the team,” he concluded.
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