Pierre Gasly says the early confirmation of his seat with AlphaTauri for 2023 has given team and driver a clear mindset to prepare for next year.
There was little doubt beforehand that Gasly would remain with the Faenza-based outfit, but the team nevertheless confirmed last week the Frenchman's contract.
It is therefore one less item Gasly will need to worry about over the summer.
"I’m looking forward to this weekend at Silverstone for many reasons, including the fact I know I can now look ahead to a further 18 months with this team," he said in AlphaTauri's British Grand Prix preview.
"I’m pleased it’s been confirmed early, so we now have time to plan a strategy of how to build and develop next year’s car.
"We already know we can perform well together, so I am convinced that if we work well over the rest of this season and develop well, there is no reason why we can’t have an excellent 2023 season."
While he still entertains the ambition of moving to a top team at some point in the future, Gasly knows that AlphaTauri is perhaps the next best place to be for him to showcase his talent.
"For me personally, my goal is to help this team get to the top," he added.
"Compared to when I first came here in 2017, we now have a lot more experience of working together, we all know and understand one another very well across the team, both in Faenza and Bicester.
"We work efficiently together, based on our past history and many seasons racing together.
"I have big ambitions for myself, and I always give my maximum to get the best results for the team. I will continue to push to get the best ever season this team has had next year."
Looking ahead to this weekend's round of racing at Silverstone, Gasly is taking a cautious stance given the current relative weakness of AlphaTauri's AT003 in the aero department.
"It’s a circuit I appreciate a lot, it’s very fast and you get an incredible feeling from the car in some sections, particularly Maggotts and Becketts," he said.
"But we will have to see how we get on, because being honest when assessing our car, we know we lack a bit of aero and we can expect to have to deal with a weekend that might not be straightforward for us.
"We will still be doing everything we can to get the most out of the package we have right now, while waiting for some upgrades that will be arriving soon.
"For now, we must be ready to seize whatever opportunities come our way, even if on paper, Silverstone will be tricky for us."
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