Alpine say they have a strong pool of drivers ready if either Ocon or Gasly depart from the team.
As an engine manufacturer, Alpine have every reason to compete at the front of Formula 1. Unlike customer teams McLaren and Aston Martin, the French outfit is in complete control of every aspect of their F1 machinery. However, it is the two Mercedes-powered teams that are establishing themselves as ‘big teams’. Meanwhile, Alpine has gone from often underwhelming in the midfield to embarrassing itself at the back. With this regression, it is plausible that Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon look for alternatives.
On paper, Ocon and Gasly tick several boxes for the Enstone-based team. As two relatively young drivers with Grand Prix victories and podium finishes, they are capable of leading Alpine up the field. Indeed, Ocon’s strong qualifying performances have often been the only saving grace for the A524 this season.
Ocon and Gasly could look elsewhere
It is precisely because these two drivers perform so well, however, that they could be disillusioned with the team’s performance. Pierre Gasly made the decision to leave the Red Bull stable at the end of 2022. His availability was crucial for a team licking their wounds after losing Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri.
At the time, joining Alpine was a logical step forward for Gasly in his F1 career. Eighteen months later, this does not seem to be the case.
On the opposite side of the garage, Esteban Ocon has spent an extended period at the team. This year’s regression is confirmation that – at least until the regulation changes in 2026 – Alpine has failed to challenge the traditional guard at the front.
Alpine ready with alternatives
Team principal Bruno Famin has emphasised that both drivers are valuable assets at Enstone. However, he made clear that alternatives are available:
“We are happy with our drivers, and our drivers are happy with us,” he told f1.com. We are talking to them regularly. Let’s see what we can do in the future.
“There are ups and down, we are in a down but we have a strong project with a long term vision.
“We are also looking at the market and we also have our academy. Where we are developing talents for tomorrow or the future. We have Jack Doohan who is our reserve, Victor Martins in F2.
“We have a wide scope of possibility – we are happy with Esteban, happy with Pierre.
“But we are ready to react in case something happens. That’s it.”
Diminishing sway in the market
It is true Jack Doohan is a strong option in the event Alpine’s current drivers leave. In this sense, Bruno Famin can be confident about the pool of talent at his disposal.
Still, this team once had the likes of Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo under contract. In the event they are forced to look at their academy, it will be difficult to overlook their diminished influence in the driver market.
Whilst Alpine can speak highly of their 2026 project, they have described themselves in growing terms previously. It will require significant internal change to transform Alpine into an outfit capable of changing the narrative and fighting at the front.
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