Since the announcement that Pierre Gasly would join Alpine for the 2023 season, attention has been cast on his relationship with his teammate Esteban Ocon.
The two drivers, both hailing from France, have a history dating back to their early days in karting when they were considered rivals aspiring to reach the pinnacle of motorsports. Despite their initial friendship, a well-documented and bitter rivalry emerged as they approached the top echelons of the racing world.
But when the two teamed up for the 2023 season, they put the past behind them to help Alpine. However, the season saw major changes in the team’s leadership amidst a huge fall in performance compared to last year.
Gasly recently talked about the difficulties of working with a driver he had such a long history with on Formula 1’s Beyond The Grid podcast.
“I knew that it would not be easy.
“But at the same time, I knew that we had grown up a lot. I was a little worried about how he would welcome me and work with me.
“I’ve known Esteban since a long time, so I know how we work. We have different personalities; we’re just two different types of people, but ultimately I think we’ve been working really well. I think we understood the responsibility.”
Gasly highlighted the differences in their personalities but stressed their effective collaboration this year, adding: “My main concern was to work well with him, to make sure that we extract the maximum of the car, maximum out of the team, and that we are both pushing in the same direction.
“There’s always going to be a healthy rivalry, one wanting to beat the other. But what I care about the most is that this doesn’t impact the evolution of the team and the evolution of the car.
“We don’t spend much time together.
“But when we get to the track, then we are at work. We are mature, responsible, and we are delivering
“In terms of a working relationship, it’s very formal between us, but that’s all I can ask because, at the end of the day, I just want to be competitive. I know Esteban won’t invite me for dinner, but I’m fine with that.”
Addressing the importance of a healthy team environment, the French driver acknowledged the need for a healthy balance between a respectful rivalry and cooperation.
“I know for my team to perform, they need to work in a healthy environment.
“There cannot be an unhealthy rivalry between the drivers. That’s something I’m aware of and something I’m really trying to be careful with, also personally managing Esteban and the way that we interact.
“If Esteban is not welcoming me into his own bubble, then fine, if that’s his way of working.
“I know I’ll get more out of him by pushing the team in the direction that I need him to push the team in. That’s why I’m completely fine with the relationship we have. I think it works well. I need my space; he needs his space, and everyone respects that.
“I think we both have a lot of respect for the drivers that we are. At the end of the day, I want to win. He wants to win. We’ve got to be hand in hand to make it happen.”
Gasly compared his current situation with Ocon to his previous teammate Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri. The pair got on famously well as teammates and continue to do so now.
“[The relationship with Esteban] is very different to what I had with Yuki. Yuki was very unique, and in Austin, I had a chat with Sir Jackie Stewart. It was just very inspiring to hear his relationship with Francois Cevert.
“As he was talking, it was almost like I could relate to my relationship with Yuki, in the way that he came to F1 and how I was supporting and trying to help. It was a very genuine and healthy relationship.”
Gasly concluded by highlighting the mutual understanding of their competitive desires, emphasising the hunger to beat each other and everyone else on the grid.
“Now, with Esteban, we’re both fighting for our careers. We both want to make it to the top. We both want to be leaders of the team.”
“I accept that and actually embrace the challenge. I embrace the competition because at the end of the day, Esteban is a very fast and very talented driver.
“He’s proven that. That’s what you need as a teammate, someone that’s going to be pushing you, someone that’s going to be pushing the team.
“I know how much he wants to beat me.
“At the same time, he knows exactly how much I want to beat him every single time. It’s not something personal because, at the end of the day, I care about all 19 drivers. I want to beat everyone. To beat everyone, I need Esteban to be pushing me and to be pushing the team to improve the car.
“That’s exactly what we’ve been doing. I think it’s probably not as exciting for the media; there hasn’t been all the sparks, stories and drama people would have expected. But it’s been great.”
