Ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, Alpine F1 driver Pierre Gasly has emphasised the importance of focusing on his driving amidst swirling speculations about the team’s engine program for 2026.
“On my side, obviously the main focus is on my job, which is to deliver the best result and extract the max out of the car performance,” Gasly stated in his media session.
“On the rest, I think I’m subject and all the conversations are very open with the team and the top management, so to me I trust in the decision of the top management and I don’t have any particular worry on that side.”
The French driver further highlighted the transparent nature of his relationship with Alpine.
“On my side personally as a driver, I have no comment to make on such a topic. I know where the team stands and that’s what’s important to me and I trust in the conversations we’ve got.”
When questioned about the implications of Alpine’s status as a works team versus a customer entry, Gasly shared the fundamental differences from his perspective by stating “being a works team, you don’t have any limitation, you set your own limits and that’s the advantage.”
He acknowledged the trade-offs involved when working with another party, noting the regulatory parity but also the loss of flexibility compared to being a works team.
“From the moment you work with another party, usually the regulation is made at this stage that there is a clear parity between all the different parties, especially on the engine side, but you lose a bit of the flexibility that you can have as a works team.”
Reflecting on Alpine’s ambitions and performance goals, the 28-year-old expressed optimism about the team’s direction.
“I think the target is very clear for the team. We want to be competitive, we want to be fighting at the front and that’s the target.” he said.
Gasly also touched upon the broader landscape of Formula 1, where customer teams like McLaren have shown competitive prowess despite not running their own engines.
“They’re clearly showing what’s possible to achieve,” Gasly observed.
“You’ve got signs that it’s possible to be competitive even without running your own engine. That’s for sure in the balance, but more globally I think it’s important to have all the options on the table and then I choose the top management to make the right decision for the team,” he concluded.
