Flavio Briatore has ranked Pierre Gasly among Formula 1’s six best drivers, insisting that Alpine’s main priority is now to build a stronger racing team and give the Frenchman a better car. With Pierre Gasly under contract until the end of 2028, Alpine considers its lead driver a central part of the team’s long-term project.
Formula 1’s summer break traditionally brings quiet factories but an active driver market, as speculation over potential moves takes precedence over technical discussions about cars and power units. However, Alpine has little cause for concern over Pierre Gasly, who is one of the few drivers on the grid already contracted for both the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
Pierre Gasly central to Alpine’s long-term project
Pierre Gasly’s long-term deal demonstrates how strongly the Enstone team believes in him. The driver of car number 10 has never had a sustained opportunity to compete in a front-running car during his Formula 1 career, aside from the first half of the 2019 season with Red Bull—an experience that came close to derailing his career.
Speaking at length on The Race Business podcast, Alpine boss Flavio Briatore discussed Pierre Gasly and the team’s future, reiterating that the current driver line-up is the least of his concerns.
“At the moment, my priority is to build a racing team. That is the priority. After that, I think the drivers we have are good,” Flavio Briatore said. “If we are talking about the leading drivers, I believe Pierre is among the top six. Now we just need a better car and greater confidence in the people here at the factory.”
Why Briatore ranks Pierre Gasly among F1’s top six
Flavio Briatore, whose long Formula 1 career has included championship success with legendary drivers such as Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, believes the driver only becomes the decisive factor once every other area of the team is already operating at the highest possible level.
“The driver becomes crucial when having those couple of tenths less makes a big difference,” Flavio Briatore explained. “But why can’t it be Pierre? Why not the drivers we have? The same applies to Franco [Colapinto]. He is very young, he is still in the early stages of his F1 experience and he has improved by 100% from last year to this year. You cannot know how a young driver will develop. We will see in the future.”
Flavio Briatore’s assessment reflects his confidence in both Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto. For Alpine, the immediate challenge is therefore not finding different drivers, but developing an organisation and car capable of allowing its existing line-up to compete at a higher level.
Mercedes power unit transforms confidence at Alpine
Another defining development in the recent history of the Enstone team was its controversial decision to move away from Renault engines and adopt a Mercedes power unit. Flavio Briatore continues to defend that choice, arguing that it has given Alpine confidence that at least one major area of its package is already at the highest level.
“On a scale from zero to ten, we are now at about six and a half, and the further you go, the more difficult it becomes,” Flavio Briatore said. “But we have a very good relationship with Mercedes. We have the Mercedes power unit and that completely changes the feeling for everyone here. We know that, in at least one area, we are at the best possible level.”
With its engine situation settled and Pierre Gasly committed through 2028, Alpine’s focus is firmly on strengthening the wider team, improving confidence within the Enstone factory and producing the better car that Flavio Briatore believes its drivers need.
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