Alpine will have an all-French line-up next year, as Pierre Gasly makes the brave move away from the Red Bull system to link up with Esteban Ocon.
Before making his move, Gasly is determined to finish his AlphaTauri career on a high, having been with the team for his entire F1 career, bar a short stint in the Red Bull senior team.
AlphaTauri currently find themselves two points behind Haas in the constructors’ championship, and with Kevin Magnussen scoring a shock pole position in qualifying in Sao Paulo, every point has been crucial for the team as they look to make a late climb up the standings.
Gasly is set to finish the season outside the top ten in the drivers’ championship and has expressed his disappointment in the performance of his AlphaTauri car in recent weeks, claiming that he is struggling to help his team in their battle with Haas.
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“I’m really trying my best and inside the car, every single lap and like sometimes we have hopes, you know, like after the start, I think we’re running P8 or P9 and kind of hope, ‘okay, might be an opportunity’,” he said.
“And then as the race goes on, then we realise Alpine even with Alonso starting from God knows where… from the centre of Sao Paulo, is overtaking us after 20 laps, which is obviously good news for me.”
The Frenchman will be pleased to see his future employers performing so well, but has assured fans that as of now he is fully focused on doing everything he can to help AlphaTauri before he departs the team.
“I’m all focused on 2022,” he promised.
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“I’m not going to lie, I’m not even thinking about next year. And that’s why I also take it personally and that’s why I also get so disappointed.”
Gasly has shared some amazing memories with AlphaTauri, such as winning the Grand Prix in Monza back in 2020, and will be sad to leave his good friend Yuki Tsunoda behind, but after failing to take advantage of his opportunity at Red Bull, the 26-year-old will be itching for the opportunity to compete higher up the grid once again.
Alpine have suggested that their ambitions match those of their drivers, who are entering the prime of their careers, as the look to build a podium challenging team in the near future with an all-French outfit.