Pierre Gasly has revealed how he and Flavio Briatore have created a “stronger bond” the longer they work together, as Alpine aim to reach the top of Formula 1.
The Italian re-entered the F1 fold as Executive Advisor at the Enstone-based squad last May, where he enjoyed successful stints at the helm of Benetton and Renault.
Since this May, Briatore has been back in his usual territory on the pit wall, acting as de facto Team Principal, after the resignation of former boss Oliver Oakes.
But the team has not enjoyed a happy season, failing to capitalise on its late-season surge in 2024, in which it snatched sixth in the Constructors’ Championship from Haas.
The A525 challenger has been the runt of the F1 litter this year, and Gasly has worked minor miracles to secure all the 20 points it has secured so far.
It appears that Gasly and Briatore are enjoying a healthy working relationship, something he has confirmed, praising his unlimited quest for putting the team in the big time.
“I must say, [the media] probably knows him and has more stories than I because I only really got to know him since he arrived last year,” Gasly told RacingNews365.
“You need time to open up and understand each other’s personalities, and at the start, it was all-track focused.
“The more we work together, we create a stronger bond and now we have started to know a bit more about each person and how we act.
“He invited me onto his boat, and I spent some time with him, and it is good to see what his vision is, what he wants from the team. He’s been a very successful businessman and has a lot of experience in F1, but also outside of F1. He is a true leader.”
Gasly said that his and Briatore’s goals are very much aligned, saying that he wants to help create an Alpine team that will ultimately enable him to challenge for victories.
“That is what I want at the end of the day, I want to win, and that is what I want in my career,” he said.
“I want to finish my career knowing I don’t want to compete in F1, I want to win in F1, and I want to build a team that can give me a car to race and fight for wins.
“Some teams, obviously, want it, but the reality is they’ll always settle for the midfield. Flavio doesn’t have any limits, not even the sky is the limit for Flavio.
“He is really committed to Formula 1 and the team to put Enstone back on top as he did some years ago, and obviously things have evolved, but he’s very much aware of that and he wants to make it happen, and is putting the work in.”
Gasly believes Alpine is ‘in a decent place’ for 2026
Gasly expanded on how he is observing Briatore oversee a change of mentality within Enstone, further aided by the arrival of new personnel, including Steve Nielsen as Managing Director.
“I have a very good relationship with Flavio and the key management in the team, and I can really see where their mindset is, the processes that are changing and what is actually evolving,” he said.
“I would be worried right now if nothing changed because we’re obviously not in a good place, but we have a lot of great people, we have great staff, and we are adding key people to the factory.
“We are starting with brand-new regulations, and fortunately, with the situation we are in, we have more wind-tunnel time for next season compared to the other teams.”
Gasly acknowledged that there will have to be a time to adapt from being a works team to a customer, as it will be with Mercedes next year, but believes there are good foundations in place for the year ahead.
“We have the change of engine manufacturer, which is going to take some adaptation, but we know that on paper, we are in a decent place for next year,” he explained.
“So for me, I’m just trying to grind my way through 2025, keeping my motivation up, and whenever I have a steering wheel in my hands, I need to give my best to deliver the best job I can.”
“It can be finding personal challenges to keep me motivated and also building the team that I need next year if we have a car which can fight for the top five or podiums or wins”
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