Pierre Gasly admits he feels "more confident" that his move to Alpine will be successful than he did ahead of his switch to Red Bull in 2019. After starting his F1 career with the then-called Toro Rosso outfit in 2017, Gasly was promoted to the main Red Bull team following Daniel Ricciardo's departure at the end of 2018. However, the Frenchman struggled to match the pace of teammate Max Verstappen and was demoted back to Toro Rosso before the 2019 season was over, with Alex Albon taking his place. In the years that followed, Gasly rebuilt at the now-named AlphaTauri squad, the team with which he claimed his debut victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix. Now Gasly leaves the Red Bull stable to partner Esteban Ocon at Alpine in 2023, and the 26-year-old believes that the lessons he has learned in the years since his stint at Red Bull will serve him well.
Gasly's mindset 'completely different' for Alpine move
"It feels like it was an eternity ago that I was with Red Bull, and since then, so much has happened, professionally and personally," Gasly told Autosport . "I really feel like I've developed in all areas. I remember when I came in Red Bull, the feeling that I had going there, and now the feeling, my approach and mindset that I have going into Alpine, is completely different. "I have a lot clearer ideas. I think it's more like clarity in my mind on what's needed to perform, and what's needed to be competitive. "[I want to] mainly use that experience that I've gathered with AlphaTauri, in good and bad times, and gathered the experience that I learned in Red Bull to make the best out of this opportunity with Alpine. "I'm a lot more confident that this is going to be very successful, I have no doubt about it. 2019, even if you think it's only three years ago, I think personally I've evolved a lot."
Gasly keeping 'open mind' about Alpine car
So far, Gasly's experience behind the wheel of an Alpine has been limited to the 2022 post-season test day in Abu Dhabi. The one-time race winner says that he will keep an "open mind" when it comes to his new machinery after spending several years as part of the Red Bull family. "For sure, it's not going to give a lot of time before the season starts, but I'll do all the prep that is needed and at the end of the day, I know I can adapt quickly," Gasly added. "I've done it in the past. I just need to be aware that things might be very different. It might not be. It might feel quite natural straight away. It might not feel natural straightaway. "But it's very important to come with an open mind."
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