Pierre Gasly has criticized Alpine’s decline in performance compared to the 2024 Formula 1 season. Following Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull Racing, could he be the right figure to help reverse the French team’s fortunes?
Pierre Gasly did not hide his frustration over Alpine’s continued struggles in the 2025 Formula 1 season. The French driver has seen the team’s performance decline even further than in the previous year. With Christian Horner now on the market after being removed from his long-standing role as Team Principal at Red Bull Racing, some see an opportunity for Alpine to pursue a major leadership overhaul.
Gasly’s sixth-place finish at Silverstone marked Alpine’s best result so far in what has been a very challenging 2025 campaign. The team, based in Enstone, currently sits at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship standings. All 19 of Alpine’s points this season have been scored solely by Gasly, while his teammates—Jack Doohan earlier in the year and Franco Colapinto more recently—have failed to deliver competitive performances.
Alpine has gone through a turbulent period, marked by a series of internal and operational changes. Team Principal Oliver Oakes resigned earlier this year, and rookie Jack Doohan was replaced by another debutant, Franco Colapinto, who has struggled even more to adapt to Formula 1. Rumors continue to circulate about a possible arrival of veteran driver Valtteri Bottas. At the same time, major shifts are taking place at the corporate level: Luca de Meo, Chief Executive Officer of the Renault Group, will officially leave the company next week.
This combination of instability and weak on-track performance has created a highly uncertain environment around the French squad. According to Pierre Gasly, the situation is even worse than it was in 2024, a season salvaged only by a double podium finish in Brazil that propelled Alpine from ninth to sixth place in the final standings.
“I believe that last year, when you look at our relative performance compared to other teams, we were in a much better position,” said Gasly. “The car was stronger, we even managed to get on the podium—it was incredible. But this year, I feel like we are in a worse situation. The others have better packages, and that sixth-place finish is probably the best we can hope for.”
During the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, Alpine announced the arrival of Steve Nielsen, who will officially join the team on September 1st in a senior management role. While he won’t carry the official title of Team Principal, Nielsen will effectively take over the responsibilities left by Oliver Oakes. He brings a wealth of experience, having worked for numerous F1 teams, the FIA, and most recently Formula One Management. He also has a strong connection with Enstone, having spent over a decade at the factory and worked alongside Flavio Briatore in the early 2000s.
However, despite his extensive résumé, Steve Nielsen has never led a Formula 1 team. This has fueled speculation about a possible future appointment of Christian Horner at Alpine, once his likely gardening leave following his Red Bull exit comes to an end. Horner has been linked with both Ferrari and Alpine, but the latter could be a more logical destination, as it would allow him to remain in the United Kingdom—closer to his family and long-standing professional base.
Adding to the feasibility of this potential move, Renault sold a 24% stake in the team to external investors in 2023. According to Formula 1 commentator Martin Brundle, equity or partial ownership will likely be a decisive factor in Horner’s next career move. Currently, Alpine is not actively searching for another high-profile leader besides Nielsen, who is expected to work closely with Briatore. However, given Briatore’s age—he recently turned 75—there’s a strong chance Alpine will soon need to rethink and restructure its leadership model once again.
Leave a Reply