Picture Credit: Twitter
French F1 driver Pierre Gasly is set to join BWT Alpine F1 Team in the 2023 season. Gasly has signed a multi-year deal with the Enstone-based team which will be pairing him with fellow Frenchman Esteban Ocon on the grid.
The 26-year-old was under a contract with Red Bull until 2023 - the larger organisation where he raced for the last nine years, and they have agreed to release him early. Gasly has been building his stock in the F1 ranks at AlphaTauri after being demoted from the Red Bull F1 squad in 2019.
Reacting to the new deal, Gasly expressed excitement about this new chapter and talked about how driving with Alpine gives him a chance to get back to his French roots. “I am delighted to join the Alpine family and begin this new chapter in my Formula 1 career,” the one-time Grand Prix winner said.
“Driving for a team that has French roots is something very special. I know the strengths of Alpine having raced against them over the past couple of years and, clearly, their progress and ambition is very impressive", he added.
He also went on to thank his former F1 team, Scuderia AlphaTauri and the Red Bull organisation for their constant support over the last nine years. He said, “I wish to thank Red Bull as this marks the end of our nine-year journey together. It is thanks to their trust and support that I became a Formula 1 driver, and what we’ve achieved with Scuderia AlphaTauri over the last years has been very special. Looking ahead, I want to give the maximum and utilise all my experience to fight for podiums and ultimately contribute to Alpine’s fight for championships in the future.”
Gasly is set to replace former F1 champion, Fernando Alonso, who will be joining Aston Martin next year. Alpine had initially planned to replace Alonso with F2 champion Oscar Piastri, the team's young driver programme member, but missed out on the Australian as he signed a deal to replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren in 2023.
