Pierre Gasly to race for Alpine in 2023

Pierre Gasly will form an all-French line-up with Esteban Ocon at Alpine from the 2023 season after signing a multi-year deal.

The 26-year-old was contracted to AlphaTauri for 2023, but Red Bull – who have supported him for the last nine years – agreed to release him early.

Gasly has been keen to secure a drive with a works squad having rebuilt his reputation at AlphaTauri following demotion from the Red Bull works squad in 2019.

“I am delighted to join the Alpine family and begin this new chapter in my Formula 1 career,” said Gasly, a one-time Grand Prix winner. “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.

“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.”

When Fernando Alonso announced he was leaving for Aston Martin and Alpine’s reserve Oscar Piastri chose McLaren, Alpine marked Gasly as their number one target.

“I’m very happy that Pierre will be joining the team for 2023 and beyond,” said Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer. “He is already a proven talent within Formula 1, and we are looking forward to harnessing that within the team. Our team has several objectives for the coming seasons and I firmly believe our driver line-up is a great reflection of the team’s high ambitions.

“I trust Pierre and Esteban can, together, motivate the team to continue its progress towards these goals. We would also like to thank Red Bull for agreeing the terms to allow Pierre to take this step.”

Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi added: “I would like to welcome Pierre to the Alpine family. He is a talented and motivated driver who will contribute positively to our objectives in Formula 1.

“Pierre is completely aligned with the ambition and progression that has, to date, been a hallmark of the Alpine project. As a young, but highly experienced and successful driver, his trajectory is on course with our own, and we look forward to growing together.”

Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo said: “We are proud to present an all-French driver line-up from 2023. Our roots are in France, and Alpine was born in Normandy, so this is a serendipity of sorts. Both will drive the team and the Group forward and, I hope, we can become a symbol of pride for France.”

It remains unclear who will replace Gasly at AlphaTauri, but Mercedes reserve Nyck de Vries – who scored points on debut as a stand-in for Alex Albon at Williams in the Italian Grand Prix – is favourite.