Pierre Gasly is placing his trust in Flavio Briatore’s directions for the Alpine Formula 1 team under the new regulations, describing them as a “masterplan”.
2026 has the most significant regulations overhaul in recent years, offering teams the opportunity to reset the board and get ahead on a level playing field.
For Alpine, these changes came at the perfect time as the Enstone team struggled immensely throughout the ground-effect era of F1. In 2025, they finished last in the standings after picking up just a handful of points across the entire year.
However, this year has already seen a turn in fortunes, with Gasly managing to take a podium in Monaco after his penalty was reversed over the weekend, and Franco Colapinto also securing top 10 finishes so far, ensuring it has scored points in every race this season and currently sits fifth in the championship standings.
There are still issues with every team, as expected under the new regulations. But Gasly seemed confident that the team would put all the pieces together under the leadership of Flavio Briatore.
“I think the timeline is the same for all of us in the team as soon as possible,” Gasly told the media, including Motorsport Week, ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.
“We’ve got to look at what we can improve right now in the short term and know our strengths and weaknesses as a team and how much time we have to put all the pieces together. I think Flavio has been here long enough to know that it doesn’t happen overnight.
“We all wish it could, but the reality is very different. I think the target was definitely to sort of be top of the midfield and slowly getting closer to the cars ahead.”
Moving up the midfield is where Alpine’s focus is in the coming rounds.
“That’s what we’ve got to focus on in the short term.” He said. “I fully believe in Flavio’s master plan and what we’ve got to put in place. I think a lot of steps in the right direction have been taken since last year.
“There’s still a long way to go until we achieve what we want to achieve in Formula 1 with Alpine. But I think eventually, I really hope we can achieve it.”
Pierre Gasly ‘believes’ in Briatore’s ‘top six F1 driver’ assessment
Briatore recently told the Beyond the Grid podcast that he saw Gasly as one of the top six drivers on the grid.
The Frenchman issued gratitude, as Briatore has spent years in F1 working with some of the greatest names in the sport, including Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso.
“I think I believe I am. It’s nice to hear from Flavio,” he said. “I’ve been here long enough to know that I’ve got to focus on my own business. I try to be the best I can every single time I’m in the car
Gasly admitted that, despite seeing himself as a stronger driver, the car beneath him or the circumstances around him haven’t allowed him to reach his full potential.
“Sometimes the best I can do is 15th place last year. It doesn’t mean that I’m a bad driver. Sometimes you’ve got a car that allows you to finish in the top five, win or top 10, and you’ve just got to extract the best you can.
“I think I’m performing well. Can I get even better? Yes, I can. That’s what I work for every day. I still think I can deliver even stronger performances than I’m doing. That’s what I’ve got to work on.
“It’s nice from Flavio. We’re working very well together. I’m happy with the dynamic we have as a team.”
Gasly has had mixed results throughout his career, but seems to have found a stable environment with Alpine. Now, with the team using Mercedes engines rather than Renault-produced engines, they have found the performance they struggled with under the previous regulations.
As each team improves over the coming seasons, the orders will continue to change. Alpine will be hoping to capitalise on the unpredictability.
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