After a 2025 season defined by growing pains and technical pivots, Pierre Gasly is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
Speaking with striking clarity and conviction, the Frenchman has offered his most optimistic outlook yet on both his own Formula 1 future and Alpine’s long-term prospects, insisting the team’s turbulent period is now behind it as focus sharpens on the all-important 2026 reset.
Gasly has never hidden his disappointment with how his Alpine journey has unfolded since joining the Enstone-based squad in 2023. A team once buoyed by a strong 2022 campaign instead found itself battling instability, leadership upheaval and shifting priorities – challenges Gasly says defined his early seasons.
“I feel like we’ve been through the rough part of the journey, and much brighter days are coming,” Gasly said in an interview with F1.com.
That sense of disruption has made time blur for the 28-year-old.
“It doesn’t quite feel like 3 years,” he said. “Maybe because I had to go through so many changes, whether it was the management point of view, the team structure, teammates… It almost feels like every time it’s been a fresh start, not the continuity of working with the same people.”
The upheaval included the sudden exit of former team principal Oliver Oakes, a period of increased involvement from Flavio Briatore, and the arrival of Steve Neilson as managing director – a churn that made consistency elusive.
While Alpine occasionally flashed its potential with podiums and standout qualifying performances, Gasly admitted the bigger picture failed to match expectations.
“There have been some clear highlights… but I think it’s fair to say that, overall, we’re quite far from our expectations,” he explained. “I expected a lot more, which unfortunately didn’t happen.”
A Reset with Purpose
Yet rather than eroding Gasly’s belief, the struggle has sharpened it. As Alpine commits fully to the sweeping 2026 regulation changes, Gasly says his confidence is now higher than at any point since arriving.
“If you ask me now, it’s the most confident I’ve been for the coming seasons, compared to the end of 2023 or the end of 2024,” he said.
Central to that confidence is Alpine’s willingness to sacrifice short-term gains for long-term competitiveness — a strategy Gasly fully embraced.
“I was the first one to say, ‘Just forget about this year. Even stop earlier and just start working on 2026,’” he revealed.
The compromise has been stark, but deliberate.
“The reality is we are 10th in the championship. We could have challenged for sixth or seventh, but we don’t do it for sixth or seventh in the championship, we do it to be right at the top,” he added.
“This couple of months of development for next season could be the difference between being at the top or being in the midfield again for another few years.”
Importantly, he rejects any suggestion that Alpine lacks the people to succeed.
“I say this with full transparency and honesty: we must have some of the best technical staff on the grid… I don’t think we’ve ever been in a situation with so many great engineers, mechanics and staff back in Enstone.”
Eyes Forward, No Regrets
Gasly is also embracing Alpine’s upcoming switch to Mercedes power, while taking time to acknowledge those who carried the Renault project.
“It’s important for me to thank all the people who worked in Viry-Chatillon,” he insisted. “It doesn’t really feel fully deserved for all the hardworking people who tried to deliver as much as they could.”
Looking ahead, his anticipation is clear.
“I’m very excited about it. From what I’m hearing, the engine is in a great place.”
Reflecting on his Red Bull chapter, Gasly was equally forthright — and at peace.
“The chapter’s closed,” he claimed. “I know on my side I tried every single time to do my best with what I was given.”
Rather than resentment, that experience has fuelled his resolve.
“I’ve never stopped grinding. I know what I want to achieve, and I know my potential,” Gasly said. “I see guys like Charles[Leclerc], Lando [Norris], George [Russell] getting their time to shine, and I need the car to be right up there with them.”
And he’s adamant he’ll be ready when that moment arrives.
“We all get different times… but from the moment I have it, I know I’m not going to let it slip. I’m ready – I’m definitely more than ready for my time.”
For him, Alpine’s shared hardship has forged unity, not fracture.
“No one’s giving up,” he concluded. “When these better times come, we could have an incredible synergy, and really enjoy that ride together.”
After years of turbulence, Gasly’s message is clear: Alpine has survived its hardest lessons – and the future, at last, looks worth the wait.
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