Pierre Gasly makes Alpine prediction in F1 'miracle' warning

Pierre Gasly, now into his ninth season racing in F1, finds himself leading forward an Alpine team that stands on the precipice of a leap into the unknown.

Team Enstone is foregoing its works status for the 2026 season, ceasing the development of its in-house Renault power unit to become a Mercedes customer.

It will be a pivotal moment in the history of the storied team, which has won championships under two previous guises, and with Gasly taking on the bulk of the heavy lifting from its driver line-up, the Frenchman is best placed to capitalise, or pay, for the upcoming turning point.

The one-time grand prix winner has flourished at Alpine, developing from an undeniably quick talent whilst in the Red Bull family earlier in his career into one of the pre-eminent forces of F1's tensely tight midfield.

As one of the few drivers to thrive in F1 after being part of the Milton Keynes squad, Gasly has not just charted a course for others to follow, but he has built himself into the complete package and someone Alpine can build around.

When asked to contrast and compare the Gasly of Red Bull to the Gasly of now, as part of an exclusive interview with RacingNews365, the 29-year-old shared how he is relishing his leadership role.

"Yeah, I think it's being more aware of... many things," he said. "I've always had the speed. Then, you need the consistency, you need the team to work; [you] need to work for the team, but then the team to work for you.

"And by both having this type of mentality, you get more out of the team and get more out of yourself, the package, etc.

"So, yeah, I must say, I'm pleased I have more responsibilities in the team, more leadership.

"Obviously, with Jack [Doohan] and Franco [Colapinto], it puts more weight on myself, which I like, and also the team, we're all driving in the direction which suits me to just perform and get the best out of the car."

Eyes fixed forward

With Alpine rooted to the foot of the constructors' standings, much hinges on the looming F1 regulations overhaul - and with the power unit side of the equation outsourced, the team can focus on executing on the chassis rules. 

Gasly, who has scored all 20 of the French outfit's points this season, does not expect things to improve over the course of the current campaign, given the monomanical focus on 2026.

However, he does have faith in the long-term project. He has previously insisted he is capable of winning drivers' titles if given the right machinery, and team adviser Flavio Briatore expects Mercedes to power the team to victories next year - and championships thereafter.

"I must say, I'm happy [with] the way I work with the team," Gasly said. "I'm very competitive, and regardless of the performance of the car, you can say it's frustrating at times, because, obviously, I'm not in F1 to fight for some P15s or tenth place.

"But, at the end of the day, I'm with the team for a longer project. I believe in the project. I know where we're heading, I know we are making a lot of good changes.

"And, fortunately, that's just a step on the way, which is not the most pleasant, but I'm sure we'll come out stronger as a team."

Ultimately, Gasly believes sacrificing now will be fruitful for the team when the regulations change over the winter.

"A lot of the stuff we are building, questioning in what we're doing, changing, I'm sure, will pay dividends in the future," he added.

"Now we have the car we've had since Barcelona. We can't expect to suddenly make a miracle with where we are, and we knew it when we decided to have this strategy for '26."