Gasly praises Briatore for 'setting the tone' and growing Alpine's momentum

Pierre Gasly has spoken with conviction about Alpine's remarkable turnaround in Formula 1, crediting acting Team Principal Flavio Briatore for bringing a long-term vision to life at Enstone — one the Frenchman always believed in, even when others did not.

A season of vindication

"I still remember last year sitting here in front of you asking about the future with the team and a lot of doubts from a lot of people," Gasly told Motorsport Week on Media Day ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix. "When I look back, I could see all the progress behind closed doors at the factory, the mentality, the processes we were putting in place. It was a tough '25 but I think it definitely proved to be positive for the start of our campaign this year."

Briatore's leadership and Alpine's growing attraction

Gasly was emphatic in his praise for Briatore, who took the reins from Oliver Oakes in May 2025, describing the Italian's influence as instrumental in reshaping the team's culture and ambition.

"I am happier. I sleep better at night and I have slightly less nightmares probably," Gasly admitted with a smile. "Flavio's leadership is great and set the tone for the entire team. We always have to question what we do, what we do well and what we have to improve. I think we have the right mindset."

The team's renaissance is not only visible on track. Gasly pointed to Alpine's upcoming title sponsorship with fashion giants Gucci as a signal that the progress happening at Enstone is being noticed far beyond the paddock. "It just shows that there is something positive happening around the team. I always believed in this," he said. The growing momentum around the project also comes at a time when the team's ownership structure remains in flux — Otro Capital recently opted to retain its 24% stake in Alpine after failing to agree a valuation with Mercedes Grand Prix Ltd, underlining the continued external interest surrounding the outfit.

"There is a great positive atmosphere happening in Enstone. There's a lot of attraction from people," Gasly added.

Progress, but still work to do

Last time out in Montreal, Gasly and team-mate Franco Colapinto delivered a solid double points finish, underscoring the team's collective strength at this early stage of the new era. Yet Gasly is under no illusions — the A526 still falls short of where he wants it to be.

"It's a long-term project and still not at the level I want us to be at, but I do believe we can still make steep learning and very steep progress over the next few months," he conceded.

Next up is Monaco, where the narrow, unforgiving streets of the Principality will offer a very different challenge. The 2026 Monaco Grand Prix promises to be one of the most intriguing weekends of the season, with the active aero ban and resurfaced circuit adding fresh layers of complexity. For Gasly personally, his best result at Monte Carlo remains a P5 finish with Red Bull back in 2019 — and with Alpine showing encouraging form, the opportunity to improve on that landmark will not be lost on him.