The Frenchman announced his contract extension with the French Formula 1 team earlier today ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, and went into further details on his deal and his expectations for the future.
Gasly admitted to “looking around” and having talks with other teams, before opting for sticking with his current employers.
“No, I mean, yeah, not only the last few weeks. Contractually, you always need to have a look quite a long time in advance.
“And obviously, when Lewis announced at the start of the year, it sort of started and triggered the whole market a lot earlier than what we would have anticipated. But then, yeah, I would say since Lewis news, there was a lot of talks here and there.”
Among the reasons behind his decision of extending his deal with Alpine there was the fact that while so far, and especially in the current season, the performance of the car hasn’t been as positive as him and his bosses would have hoped for, the 2023 Dutch GP podium finisher has confidence in their plans for the future and the new regulations coming in 2026.
Gasly added that the team’s belief in him and really wanting him was also a key factor in staying at Enstone.
“But always having in mind that I’ve signed with Alpine to be at the top with Alpine. It definitely hasn’t been the result so far that I’ve dreamt of with the team, but I believe there is a huge potential and I’ll repeat it.
“I’ve seen a lot of positive signs happening inside the team, not only at the track, but also back at the factory. I followed closely also the development for 2026, which to me was the most important for my next contract because we start into a new regulation.
“It was a constant conversation, very open, and the team obviously showed from day one a lot of interest and the desire to work with me, which is something very important to me, to work with people that are definitely pushing hard to get you and want to get you on the project.
Asked if his renewal had been affected by the return of Flavio Briatore in his new consulting role, Gasly denied, highlighting instead the importance of his strong relationship with other Alpine management figures.
“No, Flavio didn’t really influence. It was already a long conversation over the last couple of months and it was about time to commit for my future. I’m very, very happy and very excited to commit to the team because it’s good to have some stability.
“In my career, I went through Toro Rosso, to Red Bull, back to Alpine, but not always with a strong dynamic. From what I’m seeing from the team and my relationship with the team, with Luca [de Meo], with Bruno [Famin], it’s going extremely well. We’ve got clear ambitions.
“I really like Luca’s vision and where he wants to bring the team over the next few years. I trust as well in his management and I’m just very excited to be part of the project.”
The 2020 Italian GP winner went into further details about the plans he received from them.
The 28-year-old cited McLaren’s incredible recovery over the last 12 months as proof of how quickly things can change, as well as believing in who Alpine is bringing into the fold. David Sanchez and Flavio Briatore are the two big names to have arrived recently.
“Personally, I’ve seen enough in F1 to know that you can’t really rely on a single car concept. McLaren has proved it in the last two years. Mercedes also has shown that sometimes you get it right and sometimes you can’t get it wrong.
“It takes some time to get back to the top, but it’s mainly in the structure, the facilities and the technical staff you’re bringing, which was the most important to me. That’s why I tried to pay attention over the last couple of months and trying to see the dynamic going on at the factory.
“Regardless of the performance on track, which is obviously miles away from where we want to be, we’re trying to see what sort of solutions we’re trying to bring on board.
“Obviously, Luca and Bruno played a big part because everyone’s trying to defend what they have and 2026 is also going to be a big change of regulations.”
“That’s why it took a bit of time before making my own decision,” he concluded, remarking his respect for the Renault CEO and his team principal.
The other Alpine seat is still to be filled, following the announcement of the departure of Esteban Ocon before the Canadian GP.
While Carlos Sainz has emerged in the past days as a serious contender, the French-owned team might promote Jack Doohan.
Gasly says that his opinion has been asked on the subject, and he wants the fastest driver available to partner him.
“Something you discuss. On my side, I was clear. I just want the fastest guys out there. I always want a strong benchmark. I’ve had strong teammates in the past, Esteban is strong and hopefully we can replace him with the strongest and fastest driver out there.
“Honestly, I’m not really too focused on that. I’m prepared and willing to deliver my best to the team, regardless of who is next to me. Yeah, I think the team has some good options. As I said, I just want the fastest guy.”
