“It Was Their Way to Buy Time to Get Fundings”: Pierre Gasly’s Parents Were Once Forced to Trick Him for 3 Years

Pierre Gasly recently opened up to Tony Parker about the time he wanted to venture into the world of motorsports. However, things did not quite come as easily for the Frenchman. Gasly had to wait three years as his parents had to trick him, while they found sources of funds to support his dream.

Gasly, speaking about this, said in an interview with SKWEEK, “They told me, ‘Okay if you’re the first in class, then we’ll think about what we can do for you and maybe get you a Go Kart. That was their way to buy time to try to get the funding.”

The Frenchman‘s family has a deep-rooted connection with racing as three of his brothers were already into karting. As Gasly got serious about racing after trying out karting, his parents found it hard to continue funding.

This was because running four children together in racing is not an easy job. Nevertheless, Gasly’s parents found a way out and that made him an F1 star today.

How did Pierre Gasly develop as a driver?

After excelling through the junior ranks, Pierre Gasly joined F1 in 2017 with Toro Rosso. However, his exposure to F1 fame came in 2019 when Red Bull allowed him to race alongside Max Verstappen.

As Gasly replaced Daniel Ricciardo, he became increasingly popular in the F1 paddock. Unfortunately, poor performance saw him get demoted to the sister team again. This time, however, he thrived. His win in Monza back in 2020 remains his most iconic F1 performance to date.

P1!! My first victory in F1!!🏆
I’m lost for words, still struggling to realise, its just amazing!!
Everything was perfect, just missed the tifosis down under the podium. @alphatauri we have done it!! Thanks everyone for all the messages & support!! Today is a day I’ll remember. pic.twitter.com/3eILYSMsIu

— PIERRE GASLY 🇫🇷 (@PierreGASLY) September 6, 2020

After spending three seasons with the Faenza-based team, Gasly jumped ship to Alpine in 2023. He now has a $16 million contract with the French team and is expected to be doing wonders with them.

Despite this being his first year in the team, he is leading his teammate Esteban Ocon by 16 points. Nevertheless, he is touted for more success as he expects Alpine to come up with better upgrades to fight with the top teams in the sport.