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AlphaTauri announced that Pierre Gasly will be driving for the team for the 2023 season, putting to rest any rumours regarding the Frenchman's plans to switch teams.
As reported by f1.com, team boss Franz Tost described Gasly as being one of the "most competitive drivers in F1," emphasizing that he hopes to provide the 26-year-old a competitive package next season. He said:
“We are really pleased to confirm that Pierre stays with us in 2023. He 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. Undoubtedly, Pierre can play a major role in the team having a successful season next year and it will be down to us to provide him with a competitive car, so that he can continue to deliver excellent results.”
Pierre Gasly addressed the challenges faced by him with the 2022 regulations, adding that he is "proud" of the progress made by the team over the years. He 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.”
After Red Bull announced a contract extension for Sergio Perez earlier this month, speculation regarding Pierre Gasly's plans for the future skyrocketed, as he has been clear about his goal being to drive for a competitive team, Red Bull in particular.
"We just lacked pace" - Pierre Gasly on a disappointing Canadian GP
Despite securing his highest race result of the season so far at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in fifth place, Pierre Gasly had a disappointing outing in Canada the very next week and finished outside the top ten.
As reported by PlanetF1, the AlphaTauri driver admitted that the team was simply "not competitive" in Montreal. He said:
“We’re just way too slow. So not a not a very entertaining day. We were struggling a lot like just front rear and no grip, brakes, traction. There wasn’t much we could do and we tried different strategies than others, didn’t get so lucky with the Virtual Safety Car, but at the end of the day, we just lacked pace.”
He further said:
“I don’t know if it’s track-specific or whether it’s a certain set-up direction on some tracks that we need to have people look into. But clearly, at the moment, I don’t know why, but in Canada, we were just not competitive.”
Pierre Gasly is currently 11th in the Driver Standings with sixteen points to his name. It will be interesting to see where he lands after the 2023 season.
