Pierre Gasly reflects on "incredible" result for Alpine in Silverstone

Pierre Gasly could hardly contain his emotions after finishing sixth in a dramatic British Grand Prix. Despite a poor showing in practice and a red flag disruption from teammate Franco Colapinto in Q1, the Frenchman clawed back with a gritty, impressive drive on Sunday to secure Alpine's best result of the season.

Coming into Silverstone, Alpine had every reason to be cautious. They were slowest in FP3, and Franco Colapinto's Q1 crash brought out red flags, slowing the team's momentum. Gasly barely stayed in Q2 but then overperformed by reaching Q3 for the second straight weekend. He qualified 10th with a time of 1:25.785.

Speaking post-race, Gasly summed up the result with disbelief (via F1).

"I don't really know what to say. It's our best result of the year and to do it here in Silverstone in these conditions is just incredible. I'd so much fun, enjoyed so much this race from the first lap until the last one. Battling with Fernando (Alonso), battling with Lewis (Hamilton), battling with Max (Verstappen), it just felt a bit unreal at times to be in that position, especially knowing where we started the weekend."

The drive was even more meaningful given Alpine's roots. The team's Enstone facility, close to the Cotswolds, has been a hub of continuous development since its days as Toleman and later Benetton, Renault, Lotus, and now Alpine. To produce their best Sunday of the season at their home base made it sweeter.

Pierre Gasly leads George Russell and Lewis Hamilton at the British Grand Prix. Source: Getty

Their season has largely been about damage control, but Pierre Gasly praised the culture of persistence that has emerged inside Enstone this year.

"Incredible race for the whole team, and they worked really hard all weekend to improve the car. We know the car is not in the place we like to be, but I really like the mentality I am seeing, to always keep trying. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but today we did a fantastic job," he added.

Silverstone is one of the most physically and mentally demanding races of the year, and the 2025 edition was no different. Starting on intermediates under wet skies, the 29-year-old used an early skirmish between Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton to his advantage and edged closer to the front-runners.

"Took the right risk... and it all paid off": Pierre Gasly delivers in a race of survival at Silverstone

Pierre Gasly of the Alpine F1 Team races during the British GP at Silverstone. Source: Getty

The 52-lap British GP was a constant gamble on tires and track conditions with dispersed rain throughout the race, causing five safety car periods. The sequence of Virtual and full Safety Cars, followed by a drying track, helped Pierre Gasly hold his place through the middle.

By Lap 24, the order had reset with Oscar Piastri leading from Norris, while Gasly ran sixth behind Hulkenberg, just ahead of Hamilton, Alonso, and Verstappen. The Frenchman had slipped briefly when Hamilton overtook him, but once the track began drying and the switch to slicks came into play, Gasly seized the moment.

After fitting medium tires late in the race, in the final stint, he went past Lance Stroll on the final lap and eventually finished sixth. It's his best result of the season, topping his own P7 finish in Bahrain.

"We know in these conditions, you've got a lot more opportunities. You gotta take the risks — and we don't really have anything to lose. We know that it will be a struggle to stay in the top 10, but we all took the right risk, pushing to the limit, and it all paid off."

With teammate Franco Colapinto retiring early in the race and no points since the Spanish GP, this result couldn't have come at a better time for Alpine. The finish helps Pierre Gasly move past Fernando Alonso to 13th with 19 points in the Formula 1 standings.