Pierre Gasly eyes Alpine title charge: 'My time will come'

Pierre Gasly is confident his "time will come" to challenge for race victories and titles with Alpine, when the new power unit regulations are introduced next year. 

Gasly is currently Alpine's only confirmed driver for 2026, and has been busy working with the French outfit on its car for F1's new era. 

The Frenchman will lead Alpine into the new era for not only F1 but the team in general, as it will become a Mercedes customer outfit due to axing its engine programme. 

Deciding to axe its engine programme is just one of the many things to have unfolded at the Enstone-based outfit in the last 12 months, a period which has been turbulent for Alpine. 

Despite having only joined the squad at the start of 2023, Gasly has already experienced significant changes to the team's senior figures and operations, whilst also becoming its lead driver.

He has been responsible for all of Alpine's points this season, and is pleased by how he has become integral to how the outfit operates.

"I think I'm very happy and pleased with the work I do with the team," Gasly told RacingNews365, during an exclusive interview.  "So in terms of understanding what I want, the efficiency of what I need, the communication is very clear, transparent.

"At the end of the day, I've done two seasons with them with a lot of changes, instability, etc. I sort of feel that now, at least because I remained the whole time, the work I do with the people around me becomes more consistent, more fluid and flowing, and that just gives me the possibility to be more consistent across the whole year. 

"I obviously know more in depth, the sort of limitation with the car, what clearly doesn't work because it hasn't been working since I joined, what seems to work a little bit more, and with the team also coming my way, it's really like kind of trying to find that sweet spot all together, which we managed to achieve."

Gasly eyes victories

Whilst some drivers have been skeptical when looking ahead to the new regulations next year, Gasly has discussed it in a positive light. 

The 29-year-old views it as a huge opportunity for Alpine, to the extent that he believes he can become world champion in 2026. 

Gasly has improved significantly over the years since his demotion from Red Bull mid-2019, and is confident he could be winning races if given the correct car, something Alpine is working on for next season.

"So that's why I'm quite confident after exactly what you said," added Gasly, addressing being asked that he feels ready to win. 

"When I'm finishing P6 in Silverstone, if I have a race-winning car in my hands, I know I will win the race. 

"At the end, I'm P6 I go back home. So you could say it's only a P6 and nobody really cares about the P6 which in some ways is true. But then at the same time, I know my time will come. 

"And you know what I'm working on at the moment, with Flavio [Briatore] to make sure I get a race winning package for next year."