Pierre Gasly has downplayed speculation linking Valtteri Bottas to a potential move to Alpine, calling the rumors “a lot of noise” and insisting that the team must stay concentrated on improving its current performance and focused on “the work ahead”.
As Alpine grapples with a challenging 2025 Formula 1 season, Gasly’s comments underline his belief that the team’s priorities lie in addressing their performance issues rather than shaking up their driver line-up.
Ahead of the recent British Grand Prix, reports emerged alleging that Alpine had inquired about Bottas’ availability, with the team potentially eyeing another change to its line-up following Jack Doohan’s replacement after six races by Franco Colapinto.
With Alpine languishing at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship with just 19 points, the team’s struggles have fueled speculation about their future strategy, including driver choices.
Gasly Rejects Need for New Driver
When asked whether bringing in an experienced driver like Bottas could provide a benchmark to aid Alpine’s development, Gasly was quick to dismiss the idea.
“I don’t think that’s the case, I think it’s a lot of noise," stated the one-time Grand Prix winner at Silverstone, quoted by the official F1 website.
“I think the car, I’m showing every weekend what we can do with it, doing a very good job on Saturdays and putting it in places that on paper we all agree we should not really be.”
Gasly pointed to the tight competition in the midfield as a key factor in Alpine’s struggles, rather than any shortcomings in the current driver line-up.
“It’s just tricky, it’s a very tight midfield and we are at the back of it,” he added.
“There will always be noise, especially considering what happened earlier in the year, but I think at the end of the day we should just focus on the work ahead.
“It’s going to be a long season. We don’t have upgrades, the car is not in the best place, but all of us need to focus on what we’ve got to do and try and do it the best way that we can.”
Midfield Margins and 2026 Focus
Gasly also addressed the broader context of Alpine’s challenges, noting that the team’s car and engine package is not competitive enough in the ultra-tight 2025 midfield.
“It’s easy to make it sound more dramatic than it is,” he explained.
“I think it’s just a very tough field. You look a couple of years back, being eight [or] nine-tenths off the fastest car would put you sixth, seventh on the grid.
“This year being eight [or] nine-tenths slower than the fastest car puts you on the back row.
“I think everyone has done a very good job, we know the strengths and weaknesses of our package. We don’t have the strongest car, we don’t have the strongest engine – both combined doesn’t put us in a very good spot.”
Despite the team’s current struggles, Gasly remains optimistic about Alpine’s long-term prospects, particularly with significant regulation changes looming in 2026.
“But I see a lot of good stuff happening in the team in terms of trying to get the maximum we can. We know the focus is on 2026 and it comes with some compromises on this year, which are tough to take, but hopefully we see the dividends next year,” he added.
As Alpine navigates a difficult season, Gasly’s call to tune out the “noise” and concentrate on development signals a clear focus on internal progress over external speculation.
With the team’s sights set on 2026, Gasly’s confidence in the current set-up suggests that Alpine’s immediate priority is improving their package rather than reshuffling their drivers.
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