Pierre Gasly has opened up about his growing relationship with Alpine’s executive advisor Flavio Briatore, revealing that their bond is strengthening as they work together to steer the struggling Enstone team back to Formula 1’s forefront.
Briatore, who returned to Formula 1 last year in an advisory role at Alpine, has since stepped into a more hands-on position, effectively acting as team principal following Oliver Oakes’ resignation earlier this season.
While Alpine has endured a dismal 2025 campaign that has left the French outfit lingering at the bottom of F1’s Constructors’ standings, Gasly believes the flamboyant Italian’s experience and ambition are helping steer the team toward a brighter future.
Building Trust with a “True Leader”
Gasly admitted that his knowledge of Briatore was limited before his arrival at Enstone, but their professional and personal relationship has grown steadily since then.
"I must say, [the media] probably knows him and has more stories than I because I only really got to know him since he arrived last year," Gasly explained in an interview with RN365.
"You need time to open up and understand each other’s personalities, and at the start, it was all-track focused.
"The more we work together, we create a stronger bond and now we have started to know a bit more about each person and how we act.
"He invited me onto his boat, and I spent some time with him, and it is good to see what his vision is, what he wants from the team. He’s been a very successful businessman and has a lot of experience in F1, but also outside of F1. He is a true leader."
Gasly also underlined that his own ambitions are closely aligned with Briatore’s vision of Alpine returning to the top step of the podium.
"That is what I want at the end of the day, I want to win, and that is what I want in my career," he said.
"I want to finish my career knowing I don’t want to compete in F1, I want to win in F1, and I want to build a team that can give me a car to race and fight for wins.
"Some teams, obviously, want it, but the reality is they’ll always settle for the midfield. Flavio doesn’t have any limits, not even the sky is the limit for Flavio.
"He is really committed to Formula 1 and the team to put Enstone back on top as he did some years ago, and obviously things have evolved, but he’s very much aware of that and he wants to make it happen, and is putting the work in."
Change in Mentality at Enstone
Despite Alpine’s struggles this year, Gasly has taken encouragement from Briatore’s influence, the restructuring of the team’s leadership, and the arrival of experienced figures such as Steve Nielsen as Managing Director.
"I have a very good relationship with Flavio and the key management in the team, and I can really see where their mindset is, the processes that are changing and what is actually evolving," Gasly said.
"I would be worried right now if nothing changed because we’re obviously not in a good place, but we have a lot of great people, we have great staff, and we are adding key people to the factory.
"We are starting with brand-new regulations, and fortunately, with the situation we are in, we have more wind-tunnel time for next season compared to the other teams."
Looking ahead, Gasly acknowledged Alpine’s looming transition to Mercedes customer engines in 2026, but remained optimistic about the foundations being laid.
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"We have the change of engine manufacturer, which is going to take some adaptation, but we know that on paper, we are in a decent place for next year," he explained.
"So for me, I’m just trying to grind my way through 2025, keeping my motivation up, and whenever I have a steering wheel in my hands, I need to give my best to deliver the best job I can.
"It can be finding personal challenges to keep me motivated and also building the team that I need next year if we have a car which can fight for the top five or podiums or wins."
Despite Alpine’s difficult season, Gasly’s growing partnership with Briatore signals a renewed sense of ambition and leadership at Enstone – one that the French driver hopes will eventually transform the team into genuine contenders once again.
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