Pierre Gasly is betting on Alpine — and on himself. The Frenchman has signed a fresh multi-year deal that keeps him in Enstone blue through the end of the 2028 Formula 1 season, a long-term commitment that lands right as the team navigates one of its choppier stretches in years.
It’s a statement from both sides. Alpine, newly reshuffled at the top and looking ahead to F1’s 2026 reset, locks down its lead driver. Gasly, three seasons into his Alpine tenure, doubles down on a project that’s demanded patience and now needs a talisman.
“I’m thrilled to commit my long-term future to Alpine,” Gasly said. “As a Frenchman, especially, driving for a French car company, makes me feel very proud. Since I joined in 2023, I have always felt that this team is the right place to be for the future.”
The 29-year-old’s road here has been anything but linear. Thrown into F1 with Toro Rosso in 2017, whisked up to Red Bull for 2019, and then sent back down after 12 bruising races, Gasly rebuilt his reputation the hard way. His 2020 Monza win is still one of the sport’s purest shocks of the last decade; since then he’s added grit to the highlight reel. At Alpine he bagged a podium at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix and followed it with a second place in Brazil last season, proof that when the car gives him a window, he pries it open.
The timing of this extension matters. Alpine has been busy behind the scenes, changing team principals twice in 12 months and bringing in Flavio Briatore as Executive Advisor, who has also stepped in as interim Team Principal. Whatever you think about Briatore’s return, he doesn’t do half-measures — and he’s made clear that securing Gasly was a priority.
“We’re well prepared for the new era of Formula One, beginning in 2026, and now we have our lead driver confirmed to bring us well into the future,” Briatore said. “Pierre has been an immense asset for the team during this challenging period. I have been very impressed with his attitude, dedication and talent and we look forward to continuing this project together for a long time.”
Gasly, for his part, pointed to “Flavio’s support and belief in me” and “Francois’ commitment to the Formula 1 project” — a nod to the reshaped leadership group — as factors in making the decision “a natural” one. The target is what it always is in works-team land: win races, aim higher. He’s not pretending that’s easy. He is saying he wants to be the one to drag them there.
Alpine didn’t use the announcement to tip its hand on the 2026 line-up. That silence will only fuel the next round of paddock chatter. For now, the headline is continuity. In a grid that’s already churned significantly ahead of the new regulations, Alpine has circled its guy and given him runway. It’s pragmatic, too. Gasly’s market stock remains solid, and after a stop-start couple of seasons for the team, the driver room was one place Alpine could buy stability.
There’s also a cultural through-line here that shouldn’t be overlooked. A French driver leading a French manufacturer is neat PR, sure, but it also breeds accountability. Gasly’s voice carries inside Enstone and Viry, and he’s earned the right to be demanding. The team needs that edge as much as it needs lap time.
How quickly does this show up on Sundays? That’s the million-euro question. The 2026 rules cycle looms, offering every outfit a theoretical clean slate, but the next 18 months still matter. Alpine must keep development alive without tripping over the future. Gasly’s extension helps thread that needle: the car can evolve around a known quantity, and the factory can plan without playing musical chairs with its No.1.
In the meantime, Gasly’s story has another chapter, and it’s being written on home soil. “We’re all in this together,” he said. “I want to be here in years to come and deliver on our joint objective: to win races and world championships.”
Ambitious? Absolutely. But if there’s one thing Gasly has shown since Monza, it’s that he’s not afraid to swing. Now Alpine has given him a longer bat. The rest is up to them.
