Pierre Gasly will replace Fernando Alonso at Alpine and Nyck de Vries signs with AlphaTauri

MADRID, 8 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The French pilot Pierre Gasly, now in the ranks of AlphaTauri, will race with Alpine in 2023, filling the gap left by the Spanish Fernando Alonso with his departure to Aston Martin, while the Dutchman Nyck de Vries will take Gasly's place in AlphaTauri.

Thus, Gasly, from 2023, will form an entirely French duo in Alpine with Esteban Ocon, all after signing a "several-year" contract, according to the French team. Gasly was contracted by AlphaTauri until 2023, but Red Bull, which he has been with for the last nine years, agreed to release him early.

"I am delighted to be joining the Alpine family and starting this new chapter in my Formula 1 career. Driving for a team that has French roots is something very special. I know Alpine's strengths having raced against them in recent years. years and clearly his progress and ambition are very impressive," he said.

After the signing of Alonso by Aston Martin for 2023, Alpine had opted for its reserve driver, the Australian Oscar Piastri, to replace him, but he chose McLaren; a decision that had to be resolved by the Contract Recognition Board of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), which declared the validity of its contract with the British brand in the dispute with Alpine.

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer said that Gasly is already "a proven talent" within Formula 1. "Our team has several goals for the coming seasons and I firmly believe that our driver line-up is a great reflection of the great ambitions of the team. I am confident that Pierre and Esteban can, together, motivate the team to continue its progress towards these goals," he added.

Hours later, the signing of Nyck de Vries by AlphaTauri was also confirmed, taking the place of Gasly. The Dutchman, a substitute at Williams, made his debut this year at the Italian Grand Prix replacing Thai Alex Albon, who missed the race with appendicitis, and scored points by finishing ninth.

"I am very excited to join the AlphaTauri team in 2023 and I want to thank both Red Bull and the team for giving me the opportunity to drive in Formula 1. After Formula 2, I took a different path in motorsport, but F1 It has always been my dream and I am grateful to be able to fulfill it," he said.

Thanking Gasly for his work and his "fantastic win at Monza" in 2020, AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost described de Vries as "a very skilled driver". "He won in every category he competed in, with many races and championships under his belt. His last big success was winning the Formula E World Championship, and this is clear evidence that he is a very competitive driver who deserves a seat in F1", he stressed, assuring that together with the Japanese Yuki Tsunoda they will have a "very solid" pair of drivers.