Pierre Gasly is hoping for a big performance boost with Alpine next season, but the Frenchman is reportedly also set for a significant pay rise with his new team.
After six years with the Red Bull family, Gasly will leave the latter at the end of this season to open a new and hopefully prosperous chapter in his career in F1.
The 26-year-old will join childhood friend Esteban Ocon at Alpine, replacing Aston Martin-bound Fernando Alonso and forming with his new teammate an all-French lineup that the Enstone squad hopes will carry it to the top of the grid.
Speculation on the monetary value of drivers' contracts is always to be taken with a big grain of salt, as deals are obviously confidential with only a handful of individuals privy to an agreement's details.
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But French website Sportune.fr claims it knows the numbers. We won't take their word for it, but we'll just lay out the figures they've come up with which, seem a tad inflated as faras we're concerned.
First of all, Gasly's original deal with AlphaTauri for 2023 – his final year with Red Bull – apparently called for a significant hike of his basic retainer from €4-5 million to €10 million.
But his transfer to Alpine will earn him 50 per cent more according to Sportune.
The website claims that the 2020 Italian Grand Prix winner has signed a two-year-deal with his new outfit worth €15 million in his first year.
But that amount could increase in 2024 depending on a number of variables or performance clauses.
Gasly owes his future drive with Alpine as much to luck and circumstances as his does to his talent.
The Normander was expected to see out his contract with AlphaTauri until Alpine came calling and IndyCar star Colton Herta entered the frame. But the young American's F1 ambitions were squandered by his inability to secure the sport's all-important super licence.
But cue one Nyck de Vries whose remarkable performance with Williams in the Italian Grand Prix, convinced Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko to reel in the Dutchman, which in turn paved the way for Gasly's move to Alpine.
All things considered, de Vries might well give Gasly a call and demand a commission from the Frenchman on his €15 million windfall!
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