The BWT Alpine F1 team has announced that Pierre Gasly has signed a "new multi-year contract" with the team.
The news was first confirmed on Instagram in a post saying "Full Gas," although no specification has been made as to how many years the contract is.
Gasly has driven for the French side for the past two seasons and bought them a podium in the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, finishing just outside the top 10 in the drivers championships.
The French driver finished 11th last season, giving 62 points to the team. With an F1 win under his belt, they will be looking for him to step up and lead next year, with a new teammate coming.
Speaking after the announcement, Gasly said, “I feel very much at home at this great team. I enjoy being a real part of both the Formula 1 project and the wider Alpine Cars vision,
“I’ve been officially here for over 18 months and it has always been the plan to build a long-term project with the Team. While on-track it’s been a challenging season so far, I remain faithful to the project and I am not going anywhere.
“I am happy with the changes made, the hard work, and the direction the team is taking. There is a lot of potential in this team’s personnel and resources. I’m excited for what is to come in the future and right now I’m focusing on the everyday details that we are putting in to improve our performances.”
-
Was this the right choice?
The Enstone-based team made the announcement only a few weeks after Esteban Ocon was confirmed to be leaving.
Alpine could have elected for a brand new driver line-up coming into the 2025 season, especially with so many drivers yet to confirm their seats. However, with the new regulation changes coming in 2026, having a driver that is experienced with the team will be an asset.
The French team arguably could have chosen between Gasly and Ocon for a contract extension, but it was known that they wouldn't stay teammates after their unhealthy rivalry got out of hand with their crash in Monaco.
Gasly may fit better into the image of the team, and he does not have the history of Ocon, meaning he may be a better leader, especially if they choose a rookie to fill the second seat.
After the signing, team principal Bruno Famin said, “The extension of Pierre’s contract with the team is very pleasing. He is a driver with huge experience in Formula 1 and continues to show huge amounts of potential on-track.
“For Alpine as a brand, he is a great ambassador and we therefore look forward to continuing our collaboration. While this is important for our future, we do have to keep our eyes close to what is coming and that is focusing on improving our current package.
“We have high ambitions this current season and we will work tirelessly to achieve those things. We will take our time in deciding Pierre’s team-mate and we are excited with the options we have on the table.”
-
Who will fill the second seat?
There are multiple names being thrown about for Alpine's second seat in 2025; however, the one talked about most is Jack Doohan.
Doohan is an Australian driver and is currently Alpine's reserve. He completed a Formula One FP1 session earlier this season in Canada, in which he showed pace and progress.
After practice, he said, “I am grateful to the team for the opportunity to get more track time and also familiarise myself with 2024 machinery early in the season.”.
Mick Schumacher is also being talked about for a seat in 2025. The son of a famous driver, has previously completed two seasons in F1 with Haas but only managed two points finishes.
Schumacher is currently driving for Alpine in the FIA World Endurance Championships and will test a current-generation Formula One car (Alpine A522, 2022-spec) alongside Doohan next weekend in France.
Valtteri Bottas, a previous Mercedes driver and current Kick Sauber driver, is also said to be in the running. Being a 10-time race winner, Bottas would be a big asset to the team.
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has been talked about; however, the Spaniard is more likely to choose Williams or Sauber/Audi.
After last weekend's race, Bruno Famin said, "The list looks good, and the process is progressing well.".
-
What's happening with Alpine right now?
Alpine had a very poor start to the season; they went in the wrong direction with their development, and the car was being compared to a tractor.
They struggled, not scoring for the first five races of the season and finishing pretty low. Their first points came in Monaco and Miami, where Ocon and Gasly both finished separately in 10th.
They seem to have started turning things around now; upgrades have resulted in the two teammates collectively scoring points in the previous two races.
Alpine now sits in seventh place and has overtaken rival Haas. The points seemed to have come since Alpine appointed counterversial figure Flavio Briatore as 'executive manager'.
Briatore has been through his share of controversies, serving three years in prison for fraud and conspiracy over rigged gambling.
The most notable one, though, was when he ordered Nelson Piquet Junior to crash deliberately during the Singapore Grand Prix, resulting in teammate Ferando Alonso benefiting from a quick pit stop, coming into the lead, and winning the race.
Saying this, he has a great history, leading the Benneton team to success during the Ferrari-Williams dominance and spotting talent in Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso.
It will be interesting to see what he can do for the team, especially this weekend at the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix.
