EXCLUSIVE: ‘I’m ready for my time’ – Why Gasly is ‘the most confident I’ve been’ about fighting at the front with Alpine

Pierre Gasly headed into 2025 looking to build on an encouraging end to the previous F1 season, having scored points in four of the final five rounds and made another appearance on the podium. It proved to be a particularly challenging year for his Alpine team, though, who struggled for performance early on and promptly shifted development resources to their 2026 challenger, leaving them at the foot of the Teams’ Championship.

As the campaign drew to a close, the Frenchman sat down with F1.com to assess his time at Alpine so far, why he is more confident than ever about the chances of ‘Team Enstone’ recovering and competing at the sharp end again, and how he feels ready to take the next step in his own career after nine eventful years in the sport...

Gasly has a group of local journalists huddled around him at Alpine’s hospitality unit in Mexico City – all listening intently as he talks about the highs and lows of his F1 career, what drives him on and off the track, and his passions outside the sport – when F1.com arrives to get ready for a separate interview.

A few minutes later, the 29-year-old wraps up those duties, greets us and leads the way to a meeting room at the back of the building, where over the next half an hour or so – already in the mood to chat – he opens up on the past, present and future.

The quest for success at Alpine

It is difficult for us both to believe, but Gasly will soon reach a decade as an F1 driver, having arrived on the grid with Toro Rosso during the latter stages of the 2017 season, before establishing himself at the junior team and then earning promotion to the senior Red Bull squad – only for that move to be over in just 12 races.

After resetting and rebuilding at Toro Rosso (later known as AlphaTauri), with whom he scored a memorable victory around their home Monza circuit in 2020, Gasly left the Red Bull family at the end of 2022 to begin a new chapter at Alpine, owned by automotive giants Renault.

When Gasly walked through the factory doors for the first time, Alpine had just finished fourth in the championship and had their sights set on the big-hitting teams ahead, meaning regular podium finishes – and potentially even more – were the expectation.

However, three up-and-down seasons – filled with managerial reshuffles and off-track noise – have seen them fall significantly short of those goals, with 2025 bringing a new low when Alpine dropped from sixth to 10th (and last) in the standings.

So, with a moment to reflect as another busy year winds down, how does Gasly review his journey with Alpine until now?

“It’s crazy,” Gasly begins, pausing for thought. “It doesn’t quite feel like three years, maybe because I had to go through so many changes, whether it was the management point of view, the team structure, team mates… It almost feels like every time it’s been a fresh start – not the continuity of working with the same people.

“There have been some clear highlights, like the podium in Brazil last year, the P3 in Las Vegas Qualifying last year, the podiums at Zandvoort and in the Sprint at Spa in 2023, but I think it’s fair to say that, overall, we’re quite far [away] from our expectations.

“When I started at Alpine in 2023, the team had just come out of a very strong 2022 campaign, so I expected a lot more, which unfortunately didn’t happen.

“But, if you ask me now, it’s the most confident I’ve been for the coming seasons, compared to the end of 2023 or the end of 2024. It hasn’t all been smooth and easy, but at the same time, I feel like we’ve been through the rough part of the journey, and much brighter days are coming.”

Writing off the 2025 season

Part of Gasly’s optimism comes from Alpine’s decision to effectively scrap further developments on their 2025 car early in the season and focus on 2026, when sweeping regulation changes – covering both power units and aerodynamics – come into play.

A head start on the competition, if you will, even though there are “no guarantees” of success.

“At the start of the year, when the team shared their approach and the fact that they would be keen to focus on 2026, I was the first one to say, ‘Just forget about this year. Even stop earlier and just start working on 2026’,” Gasly makes clear.

“The reality is we are 10th in the championship. Let’s say we would have put a bit more budget and development [into the 2025 season], then we could have challenged for sixth or seventh in the championship – but we don’t do it for sixth or seventh in the championship, we do it to be right at the top.

“This couple of months of development for next season could be the difference between being at the top or being in the midfield again for another few years. I was more than happy, even as painful as it’s been this year, to accept a tough season as a team, to make sure that we give ourselves the best chance.

“Generally, I’m not a patient guy, but you’ve got to understand and figure out how to get the maximum out of a situation. We have no guarantees, but as a team I know our approach makes sense for what we’re trying to achieve, and to put us back on the map in F1.”

Finding some stability

Meanwhile, Gasly believes Alpine have finally found the managerial balance – under Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore and recently-signed Managing Director Steve Nielsen – to steer a workforce that boasts “great characters” and has “all the ingredients” required to succeed.

A host of names have come and gone from top Alpine positions in recent seasons, including the likes of Otmar Szafnauer, Bruno Famin and Oliver Oakes, but Gasly still sees plenty of positives beyond the headlines and noise generated by these changes.

“I say this with full transparency and honesty: we must have some of the best technical staff on the grid, looking at people’s experience, skill sets… I don’t think we’ve ever been in a situation with so many great engineers, mechanics and staff back in Enstone,” says Gasly, namechecking the factory that won titles under previous Renault and Benetton guises.

“That’s why I’m filled with optimism, because when I look at the situation we are in, the people we have inside the team, and the brainpower we have inside this team, we have to perform. Surely it must all come together and it must work.

“On Flavio, I think I connect with him because he has a winner’s mentality. He doesn’t care about anything other than winning. All he’s focusing on, all the time, is getting more out of us as a team – every single individual in the team. He doesn’t settle for anything less than perfection, and that’s my mentality as well.

“We’re in a competitive sport and we need to aim for perfection at all levels – that’s the only way we’re going to get to where we want to be. Flavio’s won in F1, he’s won many other things in life besides F1, and I think that’s thanks to his mindset and approach. I can see he’s really putting his heart into the team and the effort to make it happen.

“I also really like Steve. He’s a very different character to Flavio, but I think they complement each other a lot. He’s a great addition to the team in terms of leadership and experience, and being very factual and very objective: ‘If we’re good at something, we’re good, but if we’re weak somewhere, let’s not hide from it’.

“I feel that we’ve got great characters across the team, and we’ve got all the ingredients to be successful. Now we’ve just got to make it happen.”

A new engine for a new era

The third key point for Gasly when it comes to Alpine’s future chances is their switch to Mercedes power units – the manufacturer who stole a march on the competition at the start of the turbo-hybrid power unit era and have been heavily tipped to come up with another potent design this time around.

Indeed, Mercedes won eight successive Teams’ Championships between 2014 and 2021, and powered McLaren to the last two titles, as well as claiming six Drivers’ crowns with Lewis Hamilton – and playing a part in Lando Norris’ 2025 triumph – across the same period.

While Gasly is keen to recognise Renault’s efforts over the years, with their F1 engine department recently shutting down, he is naturally eager to experience Mercedes’ latest creation, which will also power the works team, reigning champions McLaren and Williams in 2026.

“First of all, I think it’s important for me to thank all the people who worked [at Renault’s factory] in Viry-Chatillon, and who worked on the engine side,” Gasly emphasises. “There was a lot of noise, and it doesn’t really feel fully deserved for all the hardworking people who tried to deliver as much as they could.

“Now we open a new chapter with Mercedes, and obviously, looking at their CV, how many times they’ve been World Champions, I’m sure it’s going to be a great adventure. I’m not going to lie, I’m very excited about it. From what I’m hearing, the engine is in a great place, so I’m looking forward to that first test and feeling what it’s like to have Merc horsepower on my back.

“I have very high expectations for us as a team next year. We made tactical sacrifices on 2025 to reward all of us by starting on the right foot from 2026 onwards. That’s what I expect from us, and that’s what I believe we can achieve, from the people we have and the work we are doing.

“Next year, I want to be fighting at the front of the grid. As it stands, I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be able to be right up there.”

Gasly’s rollercoaster F1 ride

Should Alpine’s new car and new engine deliver such a step, which is a lot easier said than done, it would also represent a full circle moment for Gasly, who has impressively rebuilt his career and reputation after a tricky first shot at the ‘big time’ some six years ago.

As touched on earlier, little more than a season into his F1 career with Toro Rosso, Red Bull chiefs promoted Gasly to the senior team in place of Daniel Ricciardo, who had made the bold and unexpected decision to join rivals Renault.

It was a baptism of fire for the youngster, who already found himself up against it after a pair of crashes during pre-season testing, and became the first of several drivers to struggle in the second Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen – the experience lasting 12 Grands Prix.

Gasly is philosophical as the topic comes up in our conversation, sharing more insight into how it unfolded on his side, the main takeaways, and how it has made him even hungrier for another chance to try and show what he can do in a competitive car.

“For me, it was a very particular situation,” he says, again taking some time to think about his next words. “It can’t be seen as six months, 12 races, and ‘How did I do?’ in a very simple way, because there was nothing straightforward when I was there.

“I could talk about it for hours. Is there a need for it? No. The chapter’s closed. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they just don’t. It’s obviously sad that it didn’t work out. At the same time, it wasn’t in my control. I know on my side I tried every single time to do my best with what I was given.

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t made for two cars. You can argue that it works perfectly for Max, they’re doing an incredible job for him, but… I remember at the time I was with them, Charles [Leclerc] was in his first season with Ferrari, and we were discussing it a lot. It was a very different approach for two drivers with similar experience getting to a top team.

“Anyway, I don’t really want to dwell on it. I’m very grateful for Red Bull and what they’ve done for me. Things could have been different, but at the end of the day, I also won a race with AlphaTauri afterwards; I’m one of two to have achieved that, alongside Seb Vettel, so I’m very happy to be part of that club. It wasn’t meant to be with Red Bull, but that’s okay.”

Noting that “a lot of people thought I was done” when he got sent back to Toro Rosso, Gasly adds: “For me, it’s just about putting a lot of effort in. Sometimes people underestimate how much work you’ve got to do. I’ve never stopped grinding. I know what I want to achieve, and I know my potential.

“I do feel that all these years have built a lot of fire inside me, and a desire to have my time. I see guys like Charles, Lando, George [Russell] – who I’ve been fighting in my career – getting their time to shine and their opportunities, and I need the car to be right up there with them.

“We all get a different career, we all get different times, but I must say I’m eager to get to next year, and hopefully finally get my hands on a car that allows me to be fighting at the front with these guys. From the moment I have it, I know I’m not going to let it slip. I’m ready – I’m definitely more than ready for my time.”

A reward for the hard work

So, with all of the above in mind, just how sweet would it taste to succeed at Alpine?

“I think it would taste absolutely amazing,” Gasly smiles. “As I said, I believe in hard work, and that ultimately, if you do the right thing, the succession of right actions will eventually lead to the right outcomes.

“For this team, as well, it would mean the world to get back to the top. I really like the approach of all our guys sticking together as a team, putting their best efforts in weekend after weekend, even when we have a car that is not competitive. No one’s giving up.

“I feel it’s making us so united – to feel that sort of pain together, to accept it, and to not be divided. I think it’s building such a strength that when these better times come, we could have an incredible synergy, and really enjoy that ride together.

“Obviously being French and representing a French brand is also something that I’m very proud of, and I want to put this brand and this team back to where they belong. Hopefully we can make that happen sooner rather than later…”