Gasly vindicated by Alpine's resurgence: 'So much more enjoyable'

Pierre Gasly is smiling a lot more these days. Six months ago, pundits questioned his decision to extend with Alpine until 2028. The team had just finished dead last in 2025, but behind closed doors, a different story was unfolding.

Why it matters:

Alpine's transformation from backmarker to midfield contender validates the long-term strategy Gasly bought into. The team sacrificed 2025 to focus on the current regulations, and now they're reaping the rewards — proving that patience and internal belief can pay off in Formula 1.

The details:

• Strategic pivot: Alpine deliberately wrote off 2025 to concentrate on the new regulatory era, a decision Gasly fully supported.
• Internal optimism: Despite poor public results, Gasly says there were “a lot of green flags” and positive changes inside the factory.
• Gasly's leadership: Now 30, Gasly has matured into a team leader, gaining influence over engineering direction — a role he says brings out his best performance.
• Results: After scoring all 22 of Alpine's points in 2025, Gasly is now consistently fighting for points, with the team battling for fifth in the constructors' championship.
• The enjoyment factor: Gasly admits the contrast is stark — finding joy in fighting for points rather than languishing in 15th place.

What's next:

Gasly believes Alpine is closing the gap to the frontrunners. He estimates they're “a couple of tenths” off the pace, but with continued momentum, a return to the winner's circle is not impossible within his contract term. The ultimate goal remains a world championship, and Gasly insists the foundation is being laid. “I don't think it's impossible that we end up in that position,” he says, “but we still have work to do.”