Pierre Gasly expresses how he is trying to keep the motivation high at Alpine, whether in F1 2025 and or in preparation for 2026 for a new start.
Being a veteran of the sport and now also the Alpine F1 team, Gasly is much more than a driver for them. The Frenchman has been one of the mainstays at the French team when others have changed around him, whether team bosses or even his teammates.
In F1 2025 when Alpine were down and out, Gasly kept the ship alive by pushing the car into Q3 at numerous occasions and even score points whenever possible. The Frenchman had to keep his mindset alive to not let his team down or the motivation down at any cost.
He pushed and hustled all-through 2025, urging people to think about 2026 like he did. He has been hard at work and hopes that the work done behind the scenes translates on track with the Mercedes power unit at the back, giving them much needed push irrespective of customer status.
“The way I see it is, I think the most important thing, on my side, is to keep the motivation up inside the team for all the troops,” said Gasly. “Because at the end of the day, as much frustration as I can build from not being able to bring points back to the guys on a season like we have, they are as disappointed because everybody puts their heart out there—work crazy hours, travel the world—to give us the possibility to race with the best possible equipment that we can have.
“And at the end of the day, I need to really see more globally—about the 1,500 people that we are, working at the track but also back at the factory—and especially knowing that we’re onto something much bigger for 2026. So it doesn’t take anything away from me trying to put my best in the car every single time I’m in. Do I enjoy it as much? No.
“But I’m also aware of the project that I’m working for and also what’s coming in the coming years. So I’m not losing sight of the big picture. And that’s why for me, it’s important to be the main factor in motivation for every single individual we have in the team. You can’t be sure I’m going to be one of the drivers that’s going to make sure and put in the most work [for 2026].
“I know it’s a big opportunity for the team, for myself. After the season I’ve had [in 2025], I’m more eager than ever to bounce back in 2026. I think I know what’s coming. I know the whole team has worked extremely hard this year, making all these sacrifices for the benefits we can have for 2026. I’ll be as prepared as a driver can be,” summed up Gasly.
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