Pierre Gasly has claimed he has set no deadline when it comes to deciding upon his Formula 1 prospects with Alpine amid team-mate Esteban Ocon’s impending exit.
Alpine announced earlier this month the much-anticipated news that Ocon will not renew his contract with the team and will depart once this season draws to a close.
Although the speculation has since been centred on who will replace Ocon in 2025, Gasly is not guaranteed to remain at Alpine as his current contract is due to expire.
When asked if Ocon’s departure would impact his plans, Gasly said: “To be honest, absolutely nothing. I think, you know, at the minute it’s quite clear the position I’m in.
“And yeah, for my future at the moment, I have nothing really to announce. And then, yeah, you guys will know in due time.”
But while it is considered most probable that Gasly agrees an extension with the Anglo-French marque, Gasle has stressed that he is not in a rush to make a decision.
“I don’t have a deadline,” he highlighted. “particularly, and I think the market at the moment is quite open and everybody is aware of what opportunities are out there.
“So, no, at the moment, I don’t want to give too much details on that. I think everything is going well and are in discussions. And that’s about it.”
The fractious relationship between the two Alpine drivers which emanated from karting was well-documented upon the news the two would become F1 team-mates.
While there have been occasional flashpoints – including the first-lap clash in Monaco this month – Gasly insists the pair have worked well together since last season.
“It’s a long story between Esteban and myself,” he admitted. And I think so far in the last year and a half, we managed to work and co-operate very professionally.
“So I think this is important to mention. It hasn’t always been easy, as you would imagine from two very competitive drivers.
“But yeah, considering the story between us, I think it’s been It’s been good. So, yeah, I will say I’ll stick to these lines.”
Ocon is known to be in active discussions with Haas over a move, while Alpine reserve driver Jack Doohan is the top candidate to take the Frenchman’s vacant place.
Other options comprise the two Sauber drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou, and Mick Schumacher, who races with Alpine in the World Endurance Championship.
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