Pierre Gasly is a French Formula 1 driver and the senior driver at BWT Alpine F1 Team, where he races with car number 10. Born 7 February 1996 in Rouen, France, he comes from a motorsport family: his grandfather raced karts, his grandmother was a kart champion, and his father competed in karting, endurance racing and rallying. ¹²

Gasly is one of only a handful of drivers to win a Grand Prix without having driven for one of F1's established front-running teams, and his career has been defined by resilience after an early setback at Red Bull. He is a proven race winner and multiple podium finisher whose value to Alpine lies in his consistent ability to extract results from midfield machinery. ¹³

“Gasly joined Alpine for 2023 on a multi-year deal, partnering compatriot Esteban Ocon in an all-French line-up.”

Early life and karting

Gasly began karting around age six near Rouen and relocated to Le Mans at 13 to race seriously. He grew up alongside the late Anthoine Hubert and is a contemporary of Charles Leclerc and Esteban Ocon. He finished third in the 2009 CIK-FIA World Cup and runner-up in the 2010 CIK-FIA European Championship before moving into single-seaters. ¹

Junior formulae

Gasly won the 2013 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 title with Tech 1 Racing, then finished runner-up to Carlos Sainz in the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 Series as a Red Bull junior. After an uneven GP2 debut season, he switched to Prema and won the 2016 GP2 Series championship under intense pressure from Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko. He then nearly won the 2017 Super Formula title in Japan, finishing runner-up after a typhoon cancelled the finale. ¹

Formula 1 with Toro Rosso and Red Bull

Gasly made his F1 debut at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix with Toro Rosso, replacing Daniil Kvyat. After a full 2018 season he was promoted to Red Bull Racing alongside Max Verstappen for 2019, but struggled badly against his teammate and was demoted back to Toro Rosso before the August break. He responded immediately, taking a maiden podium with second place at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix, a result he called "the best day of my life." ¹

Monza 2020 and signature moments

Gasly's career-defining moment came at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where a well-timed pit stop and a red-flag stoppage left him leading for the rebranded AlphaTauri. He held off Carlos Sainz to take his first F1 victory, becoming the first French winner of a Grand Prix since Olivier Panis in 1996. He added a third podium at the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing third in Baku. ¹

Alpine career

Gasly joined Alpine for 2023 on a multi-year deal, partnering compatriot Esteban Ocon in an all-French line-up. He took a podium at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix (third) and another in the rain-hit 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix (third). ¹ During a bruising 2025 campaign he scored all 22 of Alpine's points as the team finished bottom of the constructors' standings, and he signed a contract extension keeping him at the team through 2028. ¹⁴

2026 season and current form

For 2026 Gasly is partnered by Franco Colapinto, with Alpine having relinquished its manufacturer status to take Mercedes customer power units in the new A526 chassis. The switch transformed the team's fortunes: Gasly scored in each of the opening three rounds — tenth in Australia, sixth in Shanghai and seventh at Suzuka — and Alpine quickly climbed to fifth in the constructors' championship. ⁵⁶ His standout result came at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, where he started ninth and ran as high as fourth before two pit-lane speeding penalties dropped him to seventh on the road. Alpine lodged a Right of Review, and after the FIA accepted new evidence that the pit-lane measurement had been incorrect, the penalties were rescinded and Gasly was reinstated to third — his sixth career podium and Alpine's first since São Paulo 2024. ⁷

Driving style and character

Gasly is regarded as a quick, emotionally invested racer who is strong in changeable conditions and qualifying, and who has matured into a dependable team leader after the turbulence of his Red Bull demotion. He has spoken openly of his "massive" ambitions for the Mercedes-powered era and has been one of Alpine's most vocal advocates for the project's long-term direction. ⁵

Why he matters

Why it matters: in a team that has cycled through team principals, technical directors and an engine supplier in the space of two seasons, Gasly has been the one fixed point — the reference driver whose feedback shapes the car and whose results have repeatedly flattered the machinery. His 2028 contract makes him the foundation Alpine is building its recovery around. ⁴⁵

Bottom line

Gasly is a proven Grand Prix winner and Alpine's anchor through a long rebuild. His Monza triumph, his Monaco podium in the new era, and his ability to extract results from an uncompetitive car make him one of the most respected drivers in the midfield as Alpine settles into the Mercedes-powered age. ¹⁷