Pierre Gasly has said he has reasons to be “very optimistic” about his future with Alpine, despite the team’s difficult 2025 Formula 1 season.
The Enstone-based squad has been the perennial backmarker for much of the season, amid a myriad of destabilising occurrences.
As well as the team’s decision to oust original second seat-holder Jack Doohan in favour of Franco Colapinto, boss Ollie Oakes departed after Miami due to personal circumstances.
And, as the season has progressed, the team’s lack of upgrades for the A525 has seen it move further towards the back of the field.
That has meant that, contrary to earlier rounds, Gasly has been unable to continue to overachieve in the car, his 20 points the whole of the team’s haul so far this season.
But there are reasons for the team to be cheerful, with F1 stalwart Steve Nielsen taking on the role of Managing Director, with Gasly also extending his contract until 2028.
“If you look at the people we have in this team, for me we have all the ingredients to be a successful team,” Gasly told media including Motorsport Week.
“Steve is great, but at all levels I think we’ve got very smart people with a lot of experience, with a successful time in F1 and that’s why I have a lot of optimism for next season.
“It’s not nice to be sitting in that chair every weekend and telling you the same story over and over again, but unfortunately it’s not going to change suddenly.
“We’ve just got to stick at it, low profile, do the work we’ve got to do on ourselves.
“Hopefully in a few months’ time we’re talking about different expectations going into the weekends.”
Gasly holding ‘high expectations’ with Mercedes engine deal
Alpine, through the stewardship of Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore, has made the decision to ditch its OEM status and become a Mercedes customer for 2026.
With the call made through cost-cutting measures, it may prove to be a shrewd one, as the German marque is currently thought to have so far produced the leading power unit for next year’s brand new technical regulations.
This, as well as the current and new influx of personnel, is giving Gasly reason to shake off this year’s struggles.
“I have high expectations,” he reiterated. “They know it. I think I’m very optimistic for the right reasons.
“The people we have, I have a lot of belief in all the changes we are making. It’s quite a big change for us, also switching PU manufacturer.
“All the processes we are changing, the people we have at the factory, the new people coming in. It’s just something that seems to come together.
“The position we are in today gives us an advantage in terms of internal time for next year.
“On paper, when you look at the situation we are in, we are in an advantageous position against our rivals.
“I do believe the team can make the best of it from all the decisions we’ve made earlier in the season.”
These reasons are outweighing the misery of this season, with Gasly reasoning that “there’s no point in building up that frustration, which is not going to change until the end of the year”.
Gasly added that he is “very realistic about the situation we are in”, and is therefore trying to “find small wins when it matters”.
READ MORE – The self-inflicted problem exacerbating Alpine’s lacklustre competitiveness in recent races
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