Pierre Gasly to partner Esteban Ocon at Alpine in 2023 as team finally get their man; Alpine were rejected by Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri earlier this summer but agree a deal with Red Bull to release AlphaTauri driver; AlphaTauri confirm Nyck de Vries as replacement
Wednesday 12 October 2022 12:24, UK
Alpine have confirmed the signing of Pierre Gasly for the 2023 Formula 1 season, while AlphaTauri have announced Nyck de Vries as his replacement.
Having been snubbed by current driver Fernando Alonso (leaving for Aston Martin) and reserve Oscar Piastri (McLaren) for a seat next year, Gasly was always Alpine's number one target - as reported by Sky Sports F1 in August - and they have now landed their man.
Gasly, the always highly-rated but often overlooked driver, who has 103 races and one incredible win under his belt, will form an all-French line-up with Esteban Ocon.
"It was a clear call and definitely very attractive," Gasly, 26, told Sky Sports F1. "It felt the right time for me to take my own start and take my career on my own and start this incredible story with Alpine."
"He brings a wealth of experience, and speed," stated Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer. "And those are the two things we were looking for."
Gasly is leaving the Red Bull family for the first time in his F1 career, with Alpine agreeing a deal with the team to release the star of their sister outfit, AlphaTauri, who in June had extended the Frenchman's contract to cover the 2023 season.
AlphaTauri very briefly replaced Alpine in having one of the three seats available on the 2023 grid, but almost immediately announced that they had signed Mercedes reserve and impressive recent Williams stand-in, Nyck de Vries.
De Vries' hopes of securing a 2023 drive had appeared in the balance until he produced a hugely impressive race debut when stepping in at short notice for the unwell Alex Albon in Monza in September, catapulting himself to the top of multiple teams' wish-lists.
The 27-year-old comes into the sport with plenty of pedigree having been a Formula 2 champion in 2019, and more recently having triumphed on the Formula E circuit, while his he also equipped himself well during free practice outings for Mercedes, Aston Martin and Williams earlier this season.
"I'm extremely excited to be joining Scuderia AlphaTauri for 2023" De Vries said.
"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."
AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost paid tribute to Gasly and the Frenchman's "very successful time" with the team, before welcoming a "new chapter" with De Vries
"Now, we are pleased to start a new chapter with Nyck, who's very much welcome at Scuderia AlphaTauri," Tost said.
"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."
Alpine's pursuit of Gasly took place despite it being known that his relationship with the team's other driver, Ocon, has not always been the smoothest.
However, Ocon posted on social media to welcome his new team-mate, while Alpine boss Szafnauer insisted he was "confident" the team will be able to manage the situation.
"I'm confident. We spoke to both of them, and they both said it's their profession and they'll be professional, they'll work together to drive the team forward, and that's what it's about," Szafnauer said.
"If there's a little friction as well that could be a good thing, but I think working closely together as they said they will do, perhaps that friendship can be rekindled."
Gasly, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude to Red Bull for agreeing to release him from his deal for next season.
"What's easy in Formula 1? Nothing is easy!" Gasly said. "I must admit I'm very thankful to everyone involved because everybody tried their absolute best to make it happen.
"On Red Bull's side, Christian [Horner, team boss] and Helmut [Marko, team advisor] understood how important, how big this opportunity was to me and my desire to go there and start this new adventure with Alpine."
Gasly added: "It's a big change in my career. I'm closing a nine-year chapter with Red Bull, having had a lot of success in younger categories as well as my five years in Formula 1, my first win, podiums.
"I'm starting a new chapter with Alpine. It's a fresh start."
Gasly said he was convinced by Alpine's form in recent years and their pace this season, with the team currently just behind McLaren in the battle for fourth.
It is his biggest career step up since his brief and unsuccessful stint alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2019.
"I had another year in my contract and it was kind of sealed for next year, then everything happened and this opportunity came up," Gasly said. "I thought about it and I must admit straight away I knew this was the right move."
Alpine's signing of Gasly brings an end to a remarkable off-track saga in Formula 1 - one the team never foresaw.
First, two-time world champion Alonso shocked Alpine by agreeing a deal with Aston Martin, and then came the even bigger surprise when Piastri rejected his team's announcement and set his sights on McLaren.
Alpine fought hard to keep the Australian but lost out in a Contract Recognition Board hearing, leaving them without a driver for 2023.
While publicly embarrassed in that chase, the team had the bonus of having the most competitive seat available on the market and plenty of potential suitors. But although Daniel Ricciardo's name was immediately linked and Alpine tested three younger drivers in August, Gasly was always their preferred choice.
"It started probably early August and here we are in October, so it's had its ups and downs and its ebbs and flows," said Szafnauer. "But we got there. We worked towards making him available and it will be great next year."
Red Bull agreed to release Gasly, but only if they had a suitable replacement lined up at AlphaTauri.
The team initially targeted IndyCar standout Colton Herta - whose F1 dream has been dented by a lack of superlicense points - before turning their attention to De Vries.
The other seats left on the market are at Haas, who are weighing up whether to keep Mick Schumacher or to replace him with veteran Nico Hulkenberg, and at Williams, with American Logan Sargeant the favourite there.
