Pierre Gasly has admitted he would swap Alpine being last “every day of the week” this year for a 2026 Formula 1 car to challenge for race wins.
The Frenchman has endured a difficult season, the Enstone-based squad‘s A525 challenger being largely uncompetitive through the campaign.
Alpine sits bottom of the Constructors’ Championship with a meagre 20 points, all scored by the Frenchman.
A tumultuous year has seen Team Principal Ollie Oakes resign, forcing Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore to take the reins and steady the ship.
Stability has hopefully taken shape in the form of Steve Nielsen taking over as Managing Director, the 61-year-old bringing a wealth of experience to the team.
When asked if Nielsen’s expertise might help Alpine overcome its issues this year, Gasly said his brief is really for next year, and admitted the current car is unlikely to improve.
“The reality of it is the car has been the same since Barcelona and will remain the same until the end of the year,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“On one side, you’ve got to be objective and realistic on what’s achievable.
“Steve will arrive in September, and I think his impact and his work will be mainly seen in 2026 and beyond.
“Honestly, Steve’s got to focus on next year. We know all the work that we are putting for 2026. We are pleased with what we are doing and the evolution.
“I’m confident. I believe in the team and the fact that they’ll be able to give me a competitive car next year.”
Gasly admits Alpine short-term gains unlikely
Gasly’s personal form has at times been hugely impressive, managing a number of Q3 appearances and being the sole provider of the team’s points haul.
He appears content to ride out the remainder of this year with a car that is a regression of last year’s car, which took the team to sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
“The reality of it is this season, this is what we have, and it’s going to be extremely difficult to change the position that we are in,” he admitted.
“It doesn’t mean we are doing a bad job at the track or back at the factory.
“We just haven’t been able to produce a car, in a season where the midfield is extremely tight, with the decisions we’ve made for ’26.”
The decision from Briatore to turn the team from a works outfit into a Mercedes customer may also reap rewards, giving them potential dark horse status for 2026.
Gasly conceded that there will not be much for him and the team to fight for this year, and will gladly swap a poor remainder of the season for a genuine chance for success in 2026.
“We haven’t been able to provide enough performance to fight for better than that,” he said, “which is fine because at the end of the day, whether you finish ninth or eighth or tenth in the championship, you’re still fighting for nothing pretty much.
“But if it gives you a car that can fight for race wins, podiums, top five next season, I’ll take that every day of the week.”
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