Pierre Gasly

Pierre Gasly’s story is one of the most compelling in the entire F1 paddock. Setbacks, personal tragedy, a demotion from Red Bull that would have crushed lesser drivers — and yet here he is, a consistent and formidable competitor. That victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix with AlphaTauri remains one of the most emotional wins in recent F1 history, and his dramatic podium at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix just months after being dropped from Red Bull? That was the moment everyone knew this guy wasn’t going away.

What defines Gasly is his determination to prove doubters wrong. After Red Bull let him go midway through 2019, he rebuilt his reputation at the sister team with sheer willpower and results, then moved to Alpine where he’s taken on the team leader role. His technical feedback and work ethic have been crucial to the team’s development — the engineers love working with him, and that matters more than people realise.

At the Australian Grand Prix, Gasly has put together several strong qualifying performances, showing he can really extract pace from the Albert Park layout. His racing style — that blend of aggression and intelligence — makes him a formidable opponent in the close-quarters battles that Melbourne’s circuit so frequently produces.

Career Statistics

Driver Profile

Pierre Gasly heads into 2026 as the experienced leader at Alpine, partnering Australian-born Jack Doohan. The switch to Mercedes power units marks a fresh chapter for the team, and Gasly’s experience will be vital in guiding that development direction. His goal hasn’t changed — he wants to be back in regular podium contention — and the 2026 regulatory reset gives Alpine and Gasly their best shot in years to make a meaningful jump up the grid. I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes the most of it.

NC — Staff sports writer, australiafootball.com