Pierre Gasly switches to Alpine as Nyck de Vries joins AlphaTauir for the 2023 F1 season to complete the respective line-up.
After weeks of speculation, Gasly is finally confirmed at Alpine in a new multi-year deal from 2023 onward as he makes a switch from AlphaTauri despite having a contract with them to race for the Faenza-based outfit for next year.
Gasly will replace Fernando Alonso to race alongside Esteban Ocon, with whom he hasn’t had the very best of relationship since childhood. Ever since being in F1, it has improved certainly but only time will see how it fares from 2023 onward.
“I am delighted to join the Alpine family and begin this new chapter in my Formula 1 career,” said Gasly. “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 9-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.”
His new team principal, Otmar Szafnauer stated: “I’m very happy that Pierre will be joining the team for 2023 and beyond. 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.”
While Laurent Rossi noted: “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.”
And finally, Luca de Meo added: “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.”
As Gasly joins Alpine by cutting his contract with Red Bull and AlphaTauri, the latter has hired Mercedes junior de Vries for 2023 alongside Yuki Tsunoda. The Dutchman made his F1 debut at Monza replacing Alexander Albon at Williams.
The F2 and Formula E champion has long been looked as a potential F1 driver but it has never worked out for him until now. The deal also ends chances for the likes of Liam Lawson especially, who has had the chance to test for AlphaTauri recently.
“I’m extremely excited to be joining Scuderia AlphaTauri for 2023 and I want to thank both Red Bull and the team for giving me the opportunity to drive in F1,” said de Vries. “After Formula 2, I took a slightly different path with motorsport, but F1 has always been my dream and I’m grateful to be able to fulfil it.
“I’ve had a lot of chances to experience the 2022 car this year and I think that has put me in a great position for the upcoming season, I hope this has helped to prepare me for what is to come. Having spent most of my teenage years in Italy for karting, I’ve always felt at home there, so for me it’s great to be joining an Italian team, that already has a real family feel, and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and to start to build our relationship before the next season.”
His new boss Franz Tost added: “Scuderia AlphaTauri had a very successful time with Pierre. We will never forget his fantastic victory in Monza and his podium finishes in Brazil and Azerbaijan. I want to thank Pierre for all the effort he’s put into the team in the last years, and I wish him all the best for his future.
“Now, we are pleased to start a new chapter with Nyck, who’s very much welcome at Scuderia AlphaTauri. He is a very high skilled driver, as he won in all the categories he competed in, with many races and championships under his belt. His last big success was winning the Formula E World Championship, and this is clear evidence that he is a very competitive driver, who deserves a seat in F1. I am looking forward to seeing him in our car and I’m confident that with Yuki and Nyck we will have a very strong driver line up for 2023.”
