F1: Pierre Gasly extends his contract at Alpha Tauri until 2023
After weeks of speculation regarding his future, Pierre Gasly has decided to stay at Alpha Tauri, extending his contract until the end of 2023. The announcement comes in the aftermath of Red Bull's decision to hand a contract extension to Sergio Perez.
“The 26-year-old Frenchman has been with us since 2017 and this continuity will be a great asset, as he enjoys an excellent working relationship with his group of engineers and everyone in the team,” AlphaTauri said in a statement.
“Pierre is a proven race winner, with three podiums and three fastest race laps and to date, he has scored a total of 325 points in Formula 1. He has also developed a reputation as a very strong qualifier.”
After the deal was announced, Gasly said, “I have been with this team for five years now and I am proud of the journey we’ve been through together and the progress we have made.
“I’m happy to remain with my Scuderia AlphaTauri team. This year’s new regulations have created new challenges for us, and being able to plan our development with the team for the next 18 months is a good working basis for the future.”
At the Canadian Grand Prix, Team Principal Franz Tost insisted that Gasly will "100 percent" stay in the Italian team in 2023 even before a deal was agreed between the two parties. "[Gasly] will be a driver with us for 2023. This is 100% confirmed."
Tost added, “Gasly is definitely in the group of the best and most competitive drivers in F1 and has proven his abilities during all the time he has spent with us.”
The 26-year-old came through Red Bull's young driver program, making his debut for Alpha Tauri's predecessor Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2017. The Frenchman has been with the Italian team since then, barring a 12-race stint for parent team Red Bull.
After spending two successful years at Toro Rosso, Gasly replaced the outgoing Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull in 2019. After some poor performances that year, he was demoted to the sister team, where he has been ever since.
Gasly has returned to his best since returning to Alpha Tauri, even winning the Grand Prix in Italy along with 2 further podiums in Baku and Brazil, making him the most successful driver in the team's history.
Even after a brilliant season in 2020, where the Frenchman finished 10th in the driver's standings, Red Bull decided to bring in Sergio Perez from outside their driver's program. Any hopes of returning to the team in 2023 were vanquished when the Mexican driver penned a new deal which would keep him at Red Bull until 2024.
When asked about his future after Perez's new deal, Gasly said: "He is doing an amazing season. He's performing very well this season. He's fast, some backing financially, good experience, and he's a good fit for the team. So it's not like it was a surprise at all for me.
"But obviously, on the other side, the impact it has on my career and with the ambitions that I have is obviously affected. So that's what we're discussing at the moment with Helmut, to obviously find what's best for all of us, and how do we go forward from there."
There were strong rumours linking the 26-year old to a host of teams, including replacing Ricciardo at McLaren, Alonso at Alpine and even Nicholas Latifi at Williams. Gasly is having an underwhelming season compared to his high standards, scoring 16 points from the first nine races.