The announcement that Pierre Gasly will remain with Alpine – under what is described as a new multi-year deal, thus presumably taking the partnership into the new rules era in 2026 – is much-needed good news for the beleaguered team. .
Although Gasly is always likely to remain in the role, he had been shopping around and was considered by Audi to be a reliable option until recently – so it was not a foregone conclusion.
Amid the controversy surrounding Flavio Briatore's appointment, the on-track struggles that are at least now beginning to subside with the recent points run, the departure of key technical staff earlier in the season and the confirmation of the company's parting ways with Esteban Ocon, being unable to hold on to Gasly was an oversight on foot. Equal to the major driver market disaster of 2022 when Alpine managed to lose both Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri.
Occurred. ✍️And the story continues. Very proud to announce that I have signed a new contract with him @AlpineF1Team To continue our journey together and reach our shared ambitions in Formula 1. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I am more motivated than ever to give my best to the team.
– Pierre Gasly 🇫🇷 (@pierregasly) June 27, 2024
Since joining the Alpine team after paying huge sums to Red Bull for his release, Gasly's trajectory has been encouraging. In the first half of last season, the battle between him and Ocon was relatively equal, but in the second half of the year Gasly began to assert himself with a slight margin.
Although Ocon started the 2024 season as a more impressive driver, Gasly has been in top form since then – and question marks over the car specifications and overall condition of the Alpine have muddied the waters throughout anyway.
The 28-year-old is capable of being a very fast driver. Although he doesn't necessarily have the widest window in terms of car characteristics that he thrives on, if the machines give him what he wants, he can do great things.
He is an aggressive driver, a late braking natural, and someone who thrives on confidence. If he's able to brake late and has a car that's responsive enough in corners to turn the car around without having problems mid-corner, he's as fast as anyone. It's very clear from the track cameras and on-board cameras when he has that confidence.
There are good reasons why he is not considered an option for the top teams and his experience in 2019 alongside Max Verstappen plays a part in that.
His late-braking tendencies therefore worked against him, as he was often on the kerbs after Verstappen and, as a result, under-steered the car in slower corners.
This meant that he felt he was more limited in traction than his teammate on the exit stage as he still had more lock, which is a problem you can have with this type of style if you can't turn the car enough on the turn in.
Gasly has certainly improved since the difficult half-season at Red Bull, even winning a race at Monza in 2020, which had Lewis Hamilton marveling at his ups and downs and his health.
The Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri team clearly understood what it needed in a car and was able to give it to him, and Gasly was particularly impressive in 2021 when he had the ability to fight for third place at times behind Red Bull and Mercedes.
While times were tougher in '22 with the AlphaTauri AT01 car not giving him what he needed, the way he finished last season proved he can do the job despite the fact that current cars always suffer from a lack of front end into the slowest corners.
He worked well with the team as the season progressed to get things his way, and became a strong voice within the team. What was also going on was the battle to wrest “control” of the team from Ocon, a battle he appeared to dominate late last year and eventually won.
The Spanish Grand Prix showed what Gasly can do. He had a great qualifying session despite a car that wasn't quite to his liking and turned it around to finish ninth. While he lost his place to Sergio Perez on the final lap, it was due to a DRS car passing a much faster car.
He is now entrenched in the team, providing continuity for the future and knows that his best chance of returning to the front of Formula 1 is if the Renault-owned team can get its act together and realize its potential in the coming years.
And for Alpine, whether or not it can get the big fish everyone in the driver market is chasing for the other seat, keeping the Gasly is comfortably the best option available.
Who will join Gasly?
There are three clear candidates to join Gasly at Alpine, who still has a number of good options despite the fact that he has taken Ocon out of contention.
The first is the obvious goal for everyone…
Carlos Sainz
Sainz has narrowed his options to Audi for Williams, but there are suggestions that changes at Alpine and Briatore's appointment may have made him think again.
Sainz has always stressed that he keeps all options open. Although he did not see the Alps as a serious possibility, he wisely kept the door open and will take into account his recently improved on-track trajectory.
There is no doubt that Sainz/Gasly would be the obvious choice, and a Sainz/Gasly driver line-up may be stronger than the struggling team deserves. But it will also give him the squad he needs to rise to the top positions.
Valtteri Bottas
The way the driver market is shaping up at the moment, Bottas is the obvious choice for anyone who can't get Sainz.
He is by far the most successful free agent, with 10 Grand Prix victories, with five years of experience at Mercedes and a reputation as one of the team's best players through the approach he took during his three years with Sauber.
The Alpine project is likely to attract Bottas, who will bring the promise of team chemistry as well as serious speed.
Jack Doohan
Doohan has been on Alpine's books since early 2022 and has been an integral part of the team as a reserve/simulator driver this season.
He's fast, too, and Alpine is well aware that the cracked chassis he carried into the early stages of the 2023 Formula 2 season cost him a chance at the title.
The 21-year-old has impressed those he works with with his work ethic and diligence, as well as his pace while testing the 2022 car. This has ensured that he has long been considered a reliable option for 2024.
Mick Schumacher
With two seasons at Haas under his belt and a place in the World Endurance Championship line-up in the Alps, Schumacher cannot be ignored as an option.
He did a good job in the Alpine A424 LMDh, albeit without doing anything exciting. He also brings experience from Mercedes thanks to his role as reserve driver.
It's hard to see Schumacher being selected over the other candidates, but – unless the line-up is sorted by then – he will have the chance to prove his case when he drives the 2022 car at Paul Ricard in early July.
