Pierre Gasly foresees “massive boost” over the winter with a cohesive Alpine F1 team
Pierre Gasly is optimistic about the exciting new chapter ahead as Alpine F1 undergoes significant transformation. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, after the Abu Dhabi GP, the Frenchman expressed gratitude for the team’s late-season turnaround and the positive impact of changes within the organization.
Throughout the 2024 season, Alpine introduced several structural and managerial adjustments. Post-summer break, Oliver Oakes was appointed team principal, and the team announced a switch to Mercedes engines from 2026 onwards. Despite a difficult start to the season, which saw the team languishing at the bottom of the constructors’ standings, car updates introduced in Austin and Mexico led to a marked improvement. The team's double podium in Brazil further cemented that progress, pushing Alpine to the front of the midfield battle.
Gasly credited the team’s factory developments and car advancements for its on-track improvements, signaling a positive trajectory for the 2025 season. He highlighted the performances in Brazil, Qatar, and Las Vegas as proof of the progress, noting the team’s achievement of their targets for Abu Dhabi: securing sixth in the constructors’ championship and finishing tenth in the drivers’ standings. The former Red Bull Racing driver believes being the best of the midfield is a testament to the strides Alpine has made behind the scenes, setting the stage for further success
Asked by Sportskeeda how excited he was for 2025 as Alpine enters a new chapter, Pierre Gasly said:
“I am most happy about the fact that we seem to have a very good correlation between what we find at the factory and the track performance. Every time we found stuff translated into more performance or really shows what the work we do with our wind tunnel CFD, everything the guys are doing can be trusted. And I think in terms of confidence as a team, there's gonna be a massive boost over the winter. Last few races, fifth in Qatar, I was third in qualifying in Vegas, seventh, best of the midfield pretty much everywhere. I told them they got me excited again to drive the car and I'm definitely more excited for next season.”
Asked about his targets for the Abu Dhabi GP weekend, he replied:
“Coming in, there were three targets to get sixth in the constructors, tenth in the drivers, and keep my nose clean. So we're still on zero dollar damage, and yeah, we all completed the targets.”
Pierre Gasly reckons sixth in constructors' for Alpine was unthinkable at the beginning of the 2024 season
Pierre Gasly reflected on Alpine’s sixth-place finish in the constructors’ championship, a result that could not be fathomed at the start of the season. Grateful for the hard work done at the factory, Gasly praised the late-season improvements that gave him a car capable of delivering strong performances.
The 28-year-old acknowledged the challenges of the early season, marked by a struggling and underperforming car, but emphasized that the turnaround is a promising sign for the team’s trajectory moving forward. He expressed pride in Alpine's progress toward the end of the year, calling it a testament to the resilience and determination within the team.
Asked about his happiness and relief after the Abu Dhabi GP, Pierre Gasly said:
“Yeah, extremely happy. Sixth in the constructors' was unthinkable at the start of the year. The lows of the season were extremely low, and the highs were extremely high. So it was the first part of this season very tough for all of us in the team with an underperforming car. But very proud of the reaction of the guys and the way they managed to bring that much performance, to give me a car on the last few races which really allow me to to perform really really strongly."
"It just shows that we are heading in the right direction, that the mentality and the spirit inside the team is the right one and I was seeing all these positive changes already back in April in May. That there was a lot of progress inside the factory and obviously it doesn't translate straight away on to the track a couple months later we got all these rewards and it's six in the constructors' I think I nicked tenth in the driver championship to Nico in the last race.”
Pierre Gasly secured seventh place at the Abu Dhabi GP, which allowed him to overtake Nico Hulkenberg in the drivers’ championship and finish the 2024 season in tenth, just one point ahead of his German rival. His efforts also contributed to Alpine finishing sixth in the constructors’ championship, marking a remarkable turnaround for a team that started the season at the bottom of the standings. While his teammate and fellow Frenchman Esteban Ocon is set to move to Haas for 2025, Gasly will be joined by Jack Doohan as his new partner at Alpine.