With Fernando Alonso leaving Alpine for Aston Martin, the French team had the opportunity to sign Pierre Gasly. Thus, making it an opportunity to make an all-French lineup.
While seeing it commercially, it can be a hit in their domestic market. But everything isn’t as hunky-dory as it looks on paper. It’s well reported and has been admitted by both drivers that they had a drift in their ‘best friendship’ due to the intense racing competition.
So since their early teen days, both drivers haven’t seen each other in the eye. But now, they are teammates and have to form a camaraderie for the betterment of their team. Is that possible? That’s the question being asked since Gasly’s confirmation.
Alpine boss fires warning at Pierre Gasly & Esteban Ocon
Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi discusses the possibility of hostility between their new pair. He fires a warning stating that the two drivers are more mature than ever and shouldn’t be doing anything to harm the team. If that happens, it will be embarrassing for them to leave a team for immaturity.
“There, they can show that they have transformed into mature leaders. At the end of the contract, they will approach 30, they must not mess up because it is dangerous to find yourself pushed out of a team because you haven’t shown sufficient maturity,” said Rossi to L’Equipe.
As of now, both drivers have shown a willingness to cooperate. However, it’s not tough to see tensions between F1 teammates once they are out of their honeymoon period.
What’s next for Alpine?
The French team had an impressive season, where they ousted McLaren to grab the P4 in the constructors’ standings, even though they had several unforced errors throughout their season.
Alpine would be looking forward to minimizing on that front. In terms of personnel, they have reliable people and drivers to work with. But nobody expects them to break into the top 3.
So a P4 would be their realistic target for the 2023 season. That would make them the leaders in the midfield, and beating McLaren back-to-back would be an impressive achievement too.
As of now, they are probably preparing for the 2026 regulations. If they get that correctly, they could dominate the next era of F1. Alpine has enough time to get things right, but the competition with Mercedes, Ferrari, and now Audi and Honda (reportedly) returning to the game can make it even stiffer.
Also read: Max Verstappen sympathizes with FIA not allowing Colton Herta an F1 entry
