Pierre Gasly heads into his third season at Alpine F1 as the firm team leader following Esteban Ocon’s departure to Haas, and he was in an upbeat mood in his print media session ahead of the Australian GP.
Gasly happy after a solid test for Alpine F1 in Bahrain
Compared to this time last year, Alpine are a team that has been transformed. They were the slowest team in the opening round in 2024, with a car that was difficult to drive and overweight.
By the end of the season, however, they could consistently fight for points. That brilliant double podium at Interlagos got them P6 in the standings.
While the 2020 Italian GP winner does not want to get too far ahead of himself guessing a pecking order or where Alpine sits, he expects things to be close.
“Yeah, I must say I’m feeling good. Obviously over the past two years winter testing has offered quite a lot of challenges for us as a team. And I think going this year to Bahrain, it felt like we started off in a much better place.
“I haven’t tried to read too much into all the data. There’s tonnes of stuff out, but it’s like, when you know that 10k can make such a big difference […] I think what’s sure is that it’s going to be a very tight season, whether it’s for the fight at the top, […] top four, I think, will remain as they are. I believe it’s going to be quite tight between them.
“And the midfield, to be fair, I think it’s going to be pretty much as tight as well. So the question is, how much is that gap in between the two groups, which hopefully has reduced a bit, which will mean we’re able to maybe challenge on more occasions these guys when the track will suit our car a bit better.
“But no, the test went well, and I must say I’m very, very excited to get started here in Australia. It felt good, the winter, I had a very good winter, physically, mentally.”
Alpine F1 returning to respectability on and off track
Alpine have been a mess in recent years. The exits of Prost, Budkowski, Szafanuer, Permane and Fry showed the internal turmoil that was happening in the Enstone-based squad.
However, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. With Flavio Briatore and Oliver Oakes now settled in, and Alpine F1 making big strides towards the end of 2024 with the car to finish P6 in the Constructors’ Championship, optimism is high for Pierre Gasly ahead of the Australian GP who is happy with the changes that took place.
“I feel the team is in a great place. New people in the team, the current ones are all kind of like supporting a very positive dynamic and momentum from the end of last year.
“So it just feels all the pieces are falling in the right places.
“In terms of operation, from what I’m seeing back at the factory, that’s definitely the best I’ve seen the team since I arrived, in terms of processes and mindset and the way we are approaching the season.
“I know I’ve mentioned it 10 months ago, I could see a lot of positive changes, even though we were at the back of the field, but I could see there was a good change happening, which is the reason why I committed to this team, because I could see all this great stuff.
“And I’m pleased to see that it’s a constant evolution. I think it’s very clear where we’re heading.”
A525 Alpine F1 car responding well for Pierre Gasly
Asked if he felt the A525 had a good balance and was responding to his steering inputs, Gasly agreed with that assessment. He is wary of making any conclusions due to the unusual track conditions seen in Bahrain.
Nonetheless, it’s clear how happy he is with the progress made by Alpine since this time last year.
“Yeah, I think that’s fair.
“[However we’re] being a bit careful, because Bahrain was 15 degrees air temp, and on the track, with that surface and that tarmac, the grip was actually pretty good. So the car’s always going to feel slightly nicer in those conditions.
“But yeah, I would say the car reacted pretty well to my inputs. It reacted well to set-up changes, which is always a good sign. I think, generally, I ended up in a pretty happy place for that track.
“And yeah, I think compared to 12 months ago, it’s insane how much improvement we’ve done. It’s a car that definitely suits me a lot more.”
Pierre Gasly feeling more at one with the A525 versus the 2024 Alpine F1 car
Throughout the first part of 2024, the 29-year-old did not shy away from the fact he was struggling to get to grips with the A524, and Esteban Ocon generally held an advantage.
As the upgrades came along and the season continued, Pierre Gasly came on strong at Alpine F1, bagging 34 points in the last five rounds. He took P10 in the Drivers’ Championship away from Nico Hülkenberg.
Gasly is happier with his new Alpine machine ahead of the F1 Australian GP, although compromises may have been made.
“I would say at the end of last year we got in a better place, but there was still a core thing on the car which I didn’t like, which didn’t allow me to have the tractions I wanted.
“So yeah, I think this has been corrected slightly. Again, we know we’ve improved a couple of things. There might be other stuff which might come with some compromises on some other tracks. So that’s why I don’t want to be too outspoken for now.
“I think we start with a base that will allow us to have some tools to work with for the start of the season.
“I’m as excited as you guys to see where we’re going to end and where we’re going to fight.
“But it’s a much, much better place than 12 months ago for sure.”
Drivers making a difference in the 2025 F1 season
Sunday’s F1 Australian GP is set to kick off a thrilling year of action. The sport has never looked so competitive as it is today.
For Gasly, he is a huge fan of it. A driver can make a big difference, as shown by Max Verstappen in comparison to Sergio Pérez last year. In the right midfield fight, Gasly and others can do the same in 2025.
“I think I love that.
“I think if you ask all drivers, we love to have minimum differences across cars’ performance so you put a bit more weight on the actual driver skills. And [you] feel that whenever you’re putting an amazing lap you should be rewarded with an amazing position.
“That would be great if that can be one of these years. On paper, yes, it’s going to be tight.
“But again, these are all questions which I’ll be able to answer a bit more in a few days.”
