Pierre Gasly’s contract with AlphaTauri for 2023 was already confirmed in June, but recent events in the pilot market have sparked a new wave of talks about possible reshuffles in the teams. When word got out about Fernando Alonso’s transfer to Aston Martin, and Oscar Piastri said he wouldn’t be driving for Alpine F1, there could theoretically be a vacancy on the Renault works team.
How further events will develop is not yet clear, except that Alpine plans to demand financial compensation from the Australian if he genuinely refuses to honor his obligations – Enstone believes Piastri is violating existing agreements. At the same time, sports director Otmar Safnauer made it clear that there are enough candidates for a possible vacancy, but did not name these riders.
It makes sense to assume that one of them is Daniel Ricciardo, whose place in McLaren could be taken by Piastri, but the press is also mentioning Pierre Gasly’s name. Helmut Marko, a Red Bull adviser, however, categorically stated that the Frenchman would remain with AlphaTauri.
“There is no condition in Gasly’s contract that makes it possible to terminate it,” Marco emphasized in an interview with TV channel Sport1. “It wasn’t there before the summer break, and it won’t be after.”
What was confirmed by Franz Tost, head of AlphaTauri: “It makes no sense for Red Bull to let Pierre go. Should something happen to one of the Red Bull Racing drivers, the team will have no other suitable driver to get behind the wheel. Only Gasly can do it.”
Alpine has not yet spoken about his preferences and insists on the inevitable legal solution to the problem that Piastri and his management have created for them. Judging by ongoing rumours, the contract with McLaren has already been signed, and the only question is when it will be officially announced.
“We have a 90% chance of going to court,” Safnauer confirmed in an interview with Reuters.
Source: F1 News
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
