Scuderia AlphaTauri announced that Pierre Gasly will be returning to the organization for the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship season.
The 26-year-old Gasly from Rouen, France, is currently embarking in his fifth full-time season in F1 competition, where he is ranked in 11th place in the drivers’ championship standings on the strength of three top-10 points-paying results through the first nine scheduled Grand Prix events, thus tallying his points total to 16. His best on-track result through this season is fifth place at the Baku City Circuit for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix two weeks ago.
“I have been with this team for five years now and I am proud of the journey we’ve been through together and the progress we have made,” Gasly said. “I’m happy to remain with my Scuderia AlphaTauri team. This year’s new regulations have created new challenges for us and being able to plan our development with the team for the next 18 months is a good working basis for the future.”
Gasly made his F1 debut with AlphaTauri, formerly known at Toro Rosso, during the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit, where he started 15th and finished 14th. He went on to compete in four of the final five scheduled events of the 2017 season before he became a full-time F1 competitor for AlphaTauri in 2018, where he earned five top-10 results, 29 points and a 15th-place result in the final standings. Gasly was then promoted to drive for Red Bull Racing, AlphaTauri’s sister team, for the 2019 season, but was demoted back to AlphaTauri in Red Bull’s favor of Alexander Albon due to consistency struggles. Despite the midseason demotion, Gasly went on to claim his maiden podium result in the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos Circuit after finishing in the runner-up spot before settling in seventh place in the final standings.
Since 2020, Gasly has achieved 28 results in the top 10 in F1 competition. The highlight during the stretch was achieving his maiden F1 victory in the 2020 Italian Grand Prix at Monza Circuit, where he became the first Frenchman since Oliver Panis in 1996 to win in F1 as he recorded the second career victory for AlphaTauri. He is coming off his career-best season to date in F1 competition in 2021, where he recorded his third podium result at the Baku City Circuit along with a total of 15 top-10 results and 110 points throughout the 22-race schedule. Despite finishing in ninth place in the final drivers’ standings in 2021, Gasly along with teammate Yuki Tsunoda contributed to AlphaTauri’s career-best season to date in F1 competition with a total of 142 points and a sixth-place result in the constructors’ standings.
Through 95 previous starts in F1, Gasly has achieved one victory, three podiums, 26 laps led, 325 points and an average-finishing result of 10.8.
“We are really pleased to confirm that Pierre stays with us in 2023” Franz Tost, AlphaTauri’s team principal, said. “He is definitely in the group of the best and most competitive drivers in F1 and has proven his abilities during all the time he has spent with us. Undoubtedly, Pierre can play a major role in the team having a successful season next year and it will be down to us to provide him with a competitive car, so that he can continue to deliver excellent results.”
AlphaTauri’s full driver lineup, including plans for its second competitor, Yuki Tsunoda, will be announced at a later date.
With his plans for 2023 set, Gasly will return to F1 competition at Silverstone Circuit for the British Grand Prix on July 3.
