Pierre Gasly’s move to Alpine, where he joined Esteban Ocon for an all-French lineup, marked his departure from the Red Bull family.
His maiden season with the team proved to be a mixed bag, with Gasly himself labelling it “slightly disappointing,” particularly in terms of results.
“I must say it’s tough to say you’re pleased with the season you’ve had when you haven’t scored that many points,” Gasly admitted.
Alpine experienced a general performance decline, which resulted in them slipping down the pecking order to finish the year only sixth-best. The Enstone-based team also endured some turbulence off the track, parting ways with several key figures halfway through the season, including former boss Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane.
Despite the growing pains, Gasly can take some positives from the year. One of the highlights was his return to the podium at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.
“I think it’s been, objectively, slightly disappointing in terms of the overall performance we’ve shown, but personally, I’m definitely happy with the step I’ve made,” he said.
“I came into a new team, there was a lot to learn, a lot to get used to. And yeah, I felt I managed to step in and just deliver, trying to get everything out of the car, weekend after weekend.
“I obviously wish we would be fighting for better positions.”
He also emphasised the positive collaboration with the team members, saying: “But all in all, I feel like we are working very well with the team. We just need a better package and more speed for next year.”
Rival team McLaren started the season poorly, but managed to turn their fortunes around by the summer to become one of the biggest surprises of the season—a stark comparison to Alpine’s inconsistency and continuous struggles.
However, Gasly insists that McLaren’s triumphant turnaround was a source of inspiration, rather than jealousy.
“There’s no jealousy or ‘oh s**t, they’ve done a really good job.’
“To me, it is ‘they’ve done it, so it is possible to be doing that.’ So fair play, admiration for the work they have done.
“It is possible to get out of the midfield because they have, so why not us? My dad used to say ‘two arms, two legs, two hands and two feet, so possible’. Go for it.”
