Gasly: 'If I have a race-winning car… I know I will win'

It was at the end of 2022 that Pierre Gasly signed to join Alpine, marking the conclusion of his time in the Red Bull programme.

For Gasly, this switch to Alpine represented his first step to establish himself outside of the Austrian team’s driver pool.

With Red Bull showing no signs of promoting him after his brief stint in 2019, Alpine were an attractive destination to build his career.

At the time, having finished 4th in the standings and still being an engine manufacturer, there were many positives at the Enstone team.

Over the last few years, however, instability has haunted the team.

With the 2026 regulations approaching, Gasly believes he is ready to step up if given the correct machinery.

Pierre Gasly optimistic “my time will come”

When Gasly made his Alpine debut in 2023, there was no clear “number one driver”.

If anything Ocon’s, seniority at the team was seen as an advantage as the two French drivers battled to establish themselves.

Nevertheless, when Ocon and Gasly made contact in Monaco last year, team principal Bruno Famin was highly critical of Ocon.

This catalysed the Hungarian GP winner’s exit from Alpine, effectively making Gasly the team leader.

With Franco Colapinto becoming Gasly’s third teammate in little over six months in Imola, Gasly has been one of the only sources of stability at Enstone.

He is still the only driver to score points for Alpine, clear evidence of the A525’s limitations.

While the Frenchman is pleased with his individual performances, his results have obviously been disappointed.

Speaking to racingnews365, the 29-year-old emphasised his belief in his own abilities:

“When I’m finishing P6 in Silverstone, if I have a race-winning car in my hands, I know I will win the race.

“At the end, I’m P6, I go back home. So you could say it’s only a P6 and nobody really cares about the P6 – which in some ways is true.

“But then at the same time, I know my time will come.

“And you know what I’m working on at the moment, with Flavio [Briatore] to make sure I get a race winning package for next year.”

Crunch time for Alpine

When the season began, Pierre Gasly told the media that – were he in charge of Alpine’s development – he would immediately focus put all resources towards 2026.

This logic is understandable, given that next year represents an immense opportunity for the pecking order to change.

Alpine, even when they were known as Renault, have been consistently stuck in the midfield.

Despite declarations of ‘five-year plans’ for title success, Alpine have seen others – like McLaren – breakthrough to the front. In the meantime, Briatore’s squad has made little progress.

Even Sauber, who are in a transitional phase under Audi ownership, have comprehensively jumped Alpine over the last twelve months.

For Pierre Gasly, there is no other choice except to believe that next season can be the start of a renaissance.

Having signed a Mercedes engine deal, there will be no room for excuses if the 2026 car falls short.

Should Alpine design another uninspiring car, Gasly will be more likely to explore his options in the driver market.