“It's not like it was a no brainer”: Pierre Gasly explains his reason behind extending Alpine contract

Pierre Gasly has explained the reason behind his contract extension at Alpine. The French driver took many in the Formula 1 world by surprise after it was announced he had inked a three-year extension at the Enstone-based outfit.

Gasly’s contract extension at Alpine had come at a time when the team had continued to undergo several managerial restructurings, and with its A525 challenger experiencing a consistent spiralling down the pecking order of competitive cars on the grid. The 29-year-old, however, detailed his belief that the decision to extend his contract with the team was indeed a strong option and largely due to the show of commitment from the team.

Sharing his thoughts with the media following the conclusion of the Italian Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly, when quizzed about his new deal at the French outfit, stated:

"Of course I did [look elsewhere]," said Gasly. "It's just the normal stuff to do. It's not like it was a no-brainer looking at the performance at the start of the year. There is some thinking behind it.

"But honestly, I believe this is a very strong option. Just got to wait and display some good performance from next season. I think it's good to have some clarity and show my commitment on both ends. From the team towards me and me towards the team.”

"And with the group of people that I'm working with, I'm feeling in a much better place than I was when I arrived. So I think it's very clear. I think it [the contract extension] can only be positive for everyone on the team," he added.

Pierre Gasly’s contract extension has come at a relatively torrid time for the Alpine team. The Enstone-based outfit has continued to face challenges with its car for the season and currently sits at the bottom of the Constructors’ standings with only 20 points. The team has also experienced difficulty finding a fitting driver for its second seat, with both Jack Doohan and subsequent replacement, Franco Colapinto, failing to match the expectations set for them upon their move to the team.

The outfit have also failed to finish in the points in 11 of the 16 races held so far, with its last points scoring finish coming at the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa.

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Flavio Briatore on Pierre Gasly’s teammate

Alpine’s executive adviser, Flavio Briatore, recently weighed in on the possible options to pair Pierre Gasly as teammates for the 2026 season. The 75-year-old, who spoke to the media during the Italian Grand Prix, stressed that a decision was yet to be made.

The Italian motorsports chief, who also serves as the de facto team principal at Alpine, was quizzed by Sky Sports F1 if a decision has been made about the teammate of the French driver for 2026. Responding, Briatore stated:

“No, not yet. For the moment, I believe Franco is doing a good job. He paid a little bit of inexperience in the beginning, like a lot of the rookies and young drivers. Now in the last three or four races, he’s been much more consistent.''

He, however, hinted at the possibility of Franco Colapinto continuing at the team for 2026.

“Maybe it will be Franco, we will see. We have another four or five races to judge, and then we will see. In November, we need to make a decision."

Since teaming up with Pierre Gasly at the Alpine team, Colapinto, like Jack Doohan, has failed to record any points-scoring finish for the team. His best result so far remains the 11th-place finish he recorded at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.