Pierre Gasly has suggested that the Alpine’s target during the remainder of the 2023 season is to battle the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.

Having initially outlined its aim was to retain the fourth place it secured last season, Alpine have slumped to a distant sixth position in the Constructors’ Championship.

Alpine have endured a period of turmoil away from the track, resulting in Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer and long-serving Sporting Director Alan Permane exiting in July.

However, Gasly hailed his outing at the United States Grand Prix last time out as his “most complete” weekend display with Alpine, following up seventh in Saturday’s Sprint race with sixth in Sunday’s grand prix.

Asked about the aspects of the weekend that most pleased him, Gasly said: “Well, I will say probably the whole weekend. As a whole.

“I think we’ve been executing and getting the best out of that car every single session. So, whether it was the qualifying on Friday, whether it was the Sprint on Saturday, or even the race, I feel like we’ve left nothing on the table.

“And that’s definitely a satisfying feeling, when you come out of a weekend where you know, you’ve given everything and that’s pretty much the maximum you could get out of it.

“So, I think that’s going to be the target until the end of the year. Obviously we’re not fighting for anything in the championship this season so I think it’s going to be the main focus will be to just execute weekend after weekend the highest level, whether it’s on the execution or getting everything out of our car.”

After only accruing 22 points across the first 13 rounds of the year, Gasly has been in stellar form since the summer break, scoring 36 points in the past six rounds.

The ex-Red Bull racer has attributed his marked upturn in form to becoming more embedded within the Alpine ranks following his winter switch from AlphaTauri.

“I will say the first part of the season, I quite rarely got that feeling, which we just had in Austin for example, where it felt everything was optimised and we definitely didn’t leave anything on the table,” he considered.

“I think there was a bit more unknown and getting to know each other with a team, and understanding what sort of car feedback, kind of building the relationship with the team, and everything seems to click a bit better since we got back from the summer break.

“I’m really happy with the progress we’re making, in terms of execution, the attitude, the self-reflection on what we do every single weekend, on all areas. And I think overall, we’re just making a step forward as a team, which is what we need to aim for before next season.”

Looking ahead to this weekend’s race in Mexico, Gasly is remaining realistic on Alpine’s prospects, admitting that the top four in the standings remain out of reach.

However, the 27-year-old is optimistic that the Anglo-French marque can potentially battle Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin across the remaining five rounds of the year.

Asked what can be expected of Alpine at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Gasly said: “Well, I think pretty much the same we have seen last weekend. We seem to be not quite there with the guys ahead, the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.

“We are not too far from Aston and we can be right in front of them if they don’t get it quite right, like they did in Austin, so I think that’s going to be our main competition.

“If we can get in a fight with Fernando a couple of times until the end of the year, I think that will definitely be a good performance and, as I said, just maximise the opportunities. There might be a couple of good opportunities until Abu Dhabi and just need to make sure we’re there to grab them.” 

Both Esteban Ocon and Oscar Piastri avoided putting blame on each other’s door for the opening lap clash that put both out of the United States Grand Prix.

Starting 10th, the McLaren driver had a strong launch off the line and eyed up a move on the inside of Turn 1 as Ocon ran side-by-side with Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly.

Approaching Turn 2, Piastri attempted to hold on around the outside of Ocon but the pair made contact which would soon put an end to the pair’s Sunday afternoon in Austin.

Alpine called Ocon to retire as early as Lap 6 while overheating called time on Piastri’s race by the end of Lap 10.

“I didn’t really think anything of it to be honest,” Piastri said post-race.

“I felt like I definitely had the right to be there. I don’t think Esteban did anything untoward, just we met and unfortunately it’s caused damage for both of us so, just one of those incidents.

“There’s fluid all down the right sidepod and that’s where the contact was so. Yeah, I think that was probably a big cause of the end of the race.

“I think today was a better step forward from yesterday, maybe still not quite to the same level I would have liked but definitely a big improvement from yesterday.

“It’s a shame it’s over early, I think there was still a lot of learning to go on this afternoon, but yeah. I think I was getting better and better, just needed to do it a bit quicker. “

Revealing more details about the cause of Piastri’s retirement, McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella explained: “The impact with the front left wheel of one of the Alpines caused the damage in the water system right under the sidepod, under the bodywork on the sidepod, and this meant that we had a gradual loss of the pressure.

“And at some stage we saw that temperatures were going out of control. Pressure was kept reducing, so we needed to retire the car.”

Asked whether the contact was partly down to bad luck, Ocon explained: “I had a good launch, I was on the inside. I just took the corner, obviously Oscar then tried to go around the outside [Turn 2] and that was it – we touched. If I had to do it again, there’s nothing I’d really change.

“At the end it doesn’t matter to comment on it, the end result is that we are both out of the race. We both touched and we paid the price. We both had to retire the car, my whole sidepod was damaged which is a big shame.

“I think we could have scored points today. Only a couple of days until we go racing again which is good because we can turn the page.”

Pierre Gasly has said that his performance over the United States Grand Prix weekend was his best of the season, but Alpine still have room for improvement.

With seventh place in the Sprint and sixth in Sunday’s grand prix, the Frenchman picked up his second-highest points haul of the season, adding 10 points to his tally.

Gasly’s Sunday performance was bettered by a strategy call to opt for a shorter final stint on the Hard compound than those surrounding him on track.

After stopping on Lap 37, it took Gasly just six laps to regain the two places he lost as a result of the late stop to cross the line eighth.

The disqualifications of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc further bolstered Gasly’s result, promoting him to P6.

“I think we identified very quickly [in practice] what didn’t work so well on the car and made the right changes,”  Gasly said via RaceFans.net.

“So, I’m very pleased in terms of work and performance and extracting the maximum out of the package. I think that was probably the best weekend so far this year and that’s why we need to build on for next season.”

It wasn’t plain sailing for Gasly, who lost three positions on the opening lap. However, caution was all a part of the Alpine driver’s plan to make gains in the long run.

“There were just some pretty aggressive guys out there,” he remarked.

“I knew I had to keep my nose clean because we had the pace today and there was no point to risk everything in the first lap, so I think it paid off.

“I managed to get the best result in both races. I was P7 yesterday, P8 today [later P6] and the car ahead of us is the Mercedes of George, which also finished in P2 with Lewis [Hamilton] in both races.

“We know we are not there yet to fight with these guys, so I must say I’m pleased with the way we’ve executed the whole weekend and from the team I think it’s probably our most complete weekend so far this season.”

Despite a turbulent year for the Anglo-French marque, Gasly believes that the team’s performance in Austin points towards a better spell for Alpine.

“I think it’s about the processes and the way that we’re working and trying to improve in all different areas: analysis, reviews, feedbacks, reactivity,” the 27-year-old said.

“There’s definitely some very good progress happening so I’m very pleased with the way we’re working.

“This is not perfect, there’s still things we can improve, but I think the main focus is just trying to find a package which is stronger and with more potential than what we have at the moment to close the gap with the guys ahead of us.”

Alpine’s Formula 1 team have bolstered its junior ranks after confirming that Formula 2 racer Kush Maini will be joining the side’s driver academy.

Maini is encountering his maiden campaign in the second-tier series with Campos Racing, scoring a third-place finish in the Australia Sprint race in the third round.

But having been a regular points scorer earlier in the season, the Indian has only added three further points finishes across the past 14 races.

Consequently, Maini has since slipped to 11th in the Drivers’ Championship with 60 points to his name.

It was announced last week that Maini, younger brother of ex-Haas development driver Arjun Maini, will be mentored by two-time F1 champion Mika Hakkinen

Now, with one round remaining in the F2 championship at the end of November in Abu Dhabi, Alpine have confirmed that Maini will be part of its driver development programme.

The 23-year-old will accompany fellow Alpine-backed drivers Jack Doohan and Victor Martins in F2’s season finale at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Doohan is scheduled to drive for the Anglo-French outfit in FP1 at this weekend’s Mexico Grand Prix while combining his F2 duties with another F1 outing in Abu Dhabi.

Maini has already asserted that his target is to mount a title challenge through a second season in the F2 category next year, which is also set to be supported by Alpine.

His addition means the Enstone squad currently has nine drivers in its academy set-up. Aside from three drivers in F2, Alpine also has a trio in F3 consisting of Gabriele Mini, Sophia Floersch and Nikola Tsolov, alongside Matheus Ferreira and Abbi Pulling in F4, and young karter Kean Nakamura Berta.

“I am super excited to be joining the Alpine Academy,” Maini expressed.

“It’s a dream come true to be associated with a team like Alpine, where I can learn and grow to hopefully one day be ready to take the step into F1. A massive thank you to Alpine for believing in me and giving me this opportunity.”

Julian Rouse, interim Sporting Director of the Alpine F1 team added: “We are happy to welcome Kush into the Alpine Academy. He is a young talent who we believe has strong potential and will be a great asset to our driver development programme.

“The Alpine Academy will enter its ninth year in 2024 and currently features nine drivers of eight nationalities, spanning four different series from FIA F2 through to European Karting. The continual expansion of the Academy’s talent pool runs in parallel to the expansion of our facilities at Enstone with the development of our new state-of-the-art training and testing facilities.”

The third test of the Alpine A424 LMDh took place last week at Jerez over three days, reaching up to 1200 km of testing mileage as Mick Schumacher got his maiden outing in a sportscar.

Alpine continued their testing programme as part of their preparations for the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship as a Hypercar team.

Three current Alpine LMP2 drivers took to the wheel of the A424: Charles Milesi, André Negrão and Nicolas Lapierre.

In addition, former Haas F1 driver Mick Schumacher drove his maiden laps in the Hypercar, which is powered by a heavily modified turbocharged variant of the V6 Mecachrome engine from the outgoing Formula 2 cars.

After testing at Circuit Paul Ricard and Motorland Aragon, the Signatech Alpine outfit tested at Jerez in Spain, from 17-19 October.

Philippe Sinault, Alpine Endurance team principal, summarised his thoughts in regards to the test, which introduced night and wet weather conditions for the A424.

“Overall, we are satisfied with our tests in Jerez.

“Despite the ever-changing weather conditions, we found the right running windows to optimise track time and keep improving the car.

“We made significant progress, particularly in aerodynamics, onboard systems, headlight settings and other essential lighting for night runs.

“These tests were also crucial for the teams, who have to learn to work together, and we were able to put in a little more practice in what were sometimes extremely challenging conditions over these three days.

“This is another step towards the forthcoming challenges, particularly in terms of regulations.

“The pressure is mounting by the minute, but we’re moving forward calmly, well aware of the road we still have to travel.”

Night testing at Jerez showcased the aesthetic of the A424 which will eventually take on next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, an endurance race which involves a full day-night cycle of racing at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

With the chassis designed by Oreca, Alpine were able to integrate their emblem into the rear lights as it appeared when they first announced the A424.

Nicolas Lapierre, development driver, said: “The Hypercars are quite powerful and robust cars that require us to adapt our driving style.

“We have several areas to focus on, specifically tyre reaction and the energy recovery system.

“These two factors have an influence on the car’s balance, and we need to take the time to understand and master them so that we can homologate the car within a good performance window.”

Their next private test will involve a return to Aragon for a crucial endurance test. This may be the first time the A424 is tested to a 24 hour duration, an important milestone in any endurance sportscar’s pre-racing life.

Following that, Alpine’s attention will be on their homologation deadline, which fixates the car’s major qualities like the internal combustion engine and the chassis, under a five year homologation period.

Bruno Famin, Vice President at Alpine Motorsport, concluded: “This session was a new step in the development of the car and this project.

“We improve with each run, and the good news is that there’s no bad surprise, but we still have a tremendous amount of work. 

“Everyone is working hard to be firmly ready for the next steps.

“The first race in Qatar is just around the corner, and this will be the beginning of our racing learning process throughout the 2024 season.”

Alpine have confirmed that reserve driver Jack Doohan will drive for its Formula 1 team in FP1 at both the Mexico City and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix.

Every team on the F1 grid is mandated by the sporting regulations to grant a rookie driver – defined as a competitor with two or fewer grand prix starts – an FP1 session twice during a year.

Doohan will drive the A523 in place of Pierre Gasly in FP1 next weekend in Mexico before taking over Esteban Ocon’s car for the opening practice hour at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

The Australian, son of motorcycle champion Mick Doohan, previously had practice outings for the Enstone squad last season at the same venues.

He has also extensively tested Alpine’s 2021 challenger, the A521, since being signed to the Alpine Academy ranks in 2022.

Doohan is currently competing in the Formula 2 championship, where he has picked up two wins to sit fourth in the standings with a single round remaining.

“It is a huge honour to be given the opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car on a Grand Prix weekend for the second year in a row,” Doohan said.

“I am very grateful to BWT Alpine F1 Team for the chance to drive the A523 in Free Practice in both Mexico and Abu Dhabi.

“I have been working really hard with the team this year as their Reserve Driver, taking every opportunity to learn as much as possible for them and I feel prepared to step up and take over driving duties for the team.

“My sole focus is doing what is required of me by the team in order to contribute positively to the team’s outcome across the two Grand Prix weekends.”

The Alpine Formula 1 team and Otro Capital have welcomed a series of high-profile athletes as strategic investors in the outfit.

In June, it was confirmed that a consortium led by Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners and Maximum Effort Investments had purchased a 24% stake in the team in return for a €200m investment.

Otro Capital has now announced that a series of sports stars have now joined the investment group to “bolster Ostro Capital’s strategic partnership with Alpine F1, combining premium expertise across different areas of the sports ecosystem and driving Alpine F1’s reach to a world of new fans.”

It is hoped that the addition of new A-list investors will help drive global awareness for Alpine, and will further complement Otro Capital’s contributions in areas such as media, sponsorship, ticketing, hospitality, commercial rights management, licensing and merchandising.

Amongst the investors are Kansas City Chiefs NFL players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, both of whom are two-time Super Bowl champions.

“I am thrilled to lead an investor group and join forces with Patrick and the team at Otro Capital on this exciting venture with Alpine F1,” said Kelce.

“Our shared passion for excellence and innovation forms the cornerstone of this partnership.

“It’s about being able to contribute to a sport that demands precision, teamwork, and relentless pursuit of success. I am looking forward to this new chapter and can’t wait to see what we achieve together.”

Mahomes shared Kelce’s enthusiasm, stating: “I’ve always had a passion for all sports. The opportunity to lead an investor group with Travis in Alpine F1 alongside Otro Capital was one I couldn’t pass up.

“It’s an exciting time for the sport and this is an opportunity to bring our shared values to the world stage. I’m looking forward to being a part of its growth.”

Meanwhile, Champions League and Premier League winner Trent Alexander-Arnold is also named as an investor.

“I’m excited to be joining Otro Capital’s group as an investor into Alpine F1 along with my brother Tyler,” the Liverpool right-back said.

“Having been to Formula 1 races as a fan, I love the high-pressure environment of the paddock and I’ve seen first-hand how incredibly impressive the Alpine team is.

“Our shared goal as an investment group is to help contribute to its continued success on the grid, at a time when F1 is facing incredible growth as a sport.

“As a footballer, I understand the importance of teamwork, innovation and determination in achieving goals.”

Current world golfing number two Rory McIlroy, two-time world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, and football World Cup winner Juan Mata have also contributed to further investment in the French outfit alongside Roger Ehrenberger, founder of Eberg Capital and an investor in the Miami Marlins and Real Salt Lake.

“We are honoured at Otro Capital to be joined by this particular group of investors into our Alpine F1 investment in partnership with RedBird Capital Partners and Maximum Effort Investments,” said Otro Capital co-founder Alec Scheiner.

“These are best in class investors, athletes, entertainers and entrepreneurs and they are all committed to elevating the Alpine F1 team.”

Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon have praised the recent visit of Renault CEO Luca de Meo to the team’s Enstone factory.

Despite both drivers managing to achieve a singular podium finish, the Anglo-French squad have endured a challenging and tumultuous season on the racetrack.

With five rounds remaining, Alpine languish a lonely fifth in the Constructors’ standings, a huge 129 points behind the fourth spot it was targeting this year, held by McLaren.

The side’s struggles resulted in substantial upheaval taking place behind the scenes, which saw Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer and long-serving Sporting Director Alan Permane moved aside in August. Meanwhile, Laurent Rossi also vacated his former role as Alpine CEO to take up a new position.

Ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, De Meo held a speech at Alpine’s English headquarters – one which left both Gasly and Ocon in agreement that the team is on the right path.

“I was at the simulator on that day,” Gasly said when asked about the event. “And no, I think it was definitely very inspiring, keep to push the team forward and pushing for change and improvement.

“So no, I think it was very positive. And yeah, it was great to be there, all united as a team.”

Ocon added: “Yeah, I was having performance meetings on that day and obviously, yes, I attended the speech of Luca and Luca came to reaffirm and motivate everyone inside the factory.

“It was good that obviously he visited us. He replied to a lot of questions as well from everyone.

“And, yes, of course, there’s things that we need to improve and we are on the way to be doing that and I’m sure that we are going to be able to achieve it in the future.”

De Meo’s trip coincidentally arrived right after Alpine had been the subject of scrutiny for a team order call that left Gasly angered in last month’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Having encountered damage on Lap 1, Ocon had undercut his way ahead of his team-mate but was later informed to let Gasly by to let him chase down Fernando Alonso.

Amid his failure to reel in the Aston Martin, Gasly was instructed to relinquish the position to Ocon, prompting the former to vent that he didn’t “understand” the decision.

Ocon has sympathised with his countryman’s remonstrations, admitting that he would always prioritise settling positions through racing whilst acknowledging the team’s view.

“I’m always on the side of… I prefer to race,” Ocon conceded.

“It doesn’t matter what there is to gain in front; there shouldn’t be artificial racing in any way and I’m more of an old school guy on that one and I just prefer to race, doesn’t matter what the circumstance is, even if there is a podium to get in front.

“But I also understand the side of the team, which is to try and get as many points as we can which is normal. So you need to understand both.”

Ocon added that the matter was discussed internally and both drivers now firmly understand the rules of engagement when it comes to obeying orders from the team.

“Yeah, we’ve discussed it internally, which is the most important and we know where we are going from now,” he explained.

“But it’s been a similar thing a couple of years ago with Daniel [Ricciardo], as I said, with Fernando. We’ve made those switches from one side or another and the important thing for us as a team is to maximise the result that we can get, and we try and do that in that race.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to get one more position so we made the switch back. But now we know where we’re going with the team and that’s the most important.”

Alpine’s Interim Team Principal Bruno Famin has said that as of right now the team has “absolutely no contract with Andretti” over a Formula 1 engine deal.

Michael Andretti’s prospective eponymous Formula 1 team entry passed FIA approval recently, with acceptance into F1 by way of a commercial agreement now in the hands of Formula One Management.

It’s needless to say the proposal of Andretti – with the might of General Motors/Cadillac behind it – to join F1 has created a difference of opinion within the sport’s ranks.

Earlier this year, both McLaren and Alpine expressed support for the Andretti bid, with the latter said to have brokered an engine deal should the American outfit join the grid as an 11th team.

But now, Famin has stated that the terms of agreement for such a deal have expired.

“We had a pre-contract with Andretti, which has expired because they were supposed to be granted an F1 entry before a given date,” he told Autosport.

“It means right now, if we want to do something with Andretti, we need to negotiate a full contract, a formal contract.

“Everybody knows what the situation is, we need something, and we need a decision from F1 before resuming with Andretti.”

Asked whether Famin and Alpine as a whole still support an 11th team joining the F1 grid, his answer leant towards the addition of Andretti being seen as a positive if the arrival of the team adds something to the sport.

“We have nothing against 11 teams if it really brings real added value to the business as a whole, and to F1 in general,” he added.

“It’s up to F1, to the promoter, to assess what is the real added value an 11th team may bring.

“And if they evaluate that there is really a big added value, we will be happy with that.

“What we don’t want is that an 11th team dilutes the value of our assets in the championship.

“Of course, if that will be the case, we will be against that.”

Andretti, son of 1978 F1 Drivers’ Champion Mario, has said that his team will “benefit our customers while heightening enthusiasm for F1, globally.”

Reports have stated that should Andretti make its way onto the F1 grid, Cadillac and GM will explore developing their own power unit for the future.

Should that be the case, the bid may gain more approval from existing F1 teams, with Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner having told Sky Sports F1 that “ideally, I think they need to do their own engine.”

In the meantime, should Andretti pass muster with FOM and earn its place on the F1 grid, talks with Alpine over an initial engine deal will likely resume, with the Anglo-French outfit currently only supplying its own entry.

Pierre Gasly rued energy management issues that contributed to him taking “too many risks” and picking up track limit penalties in the Qatar Grand Prix.

The debate surrounding track limits dominated the Qatar weekend, with the stewards noting 51 offences throughout the course of Sunday’s 57-lap encounter.

Gasly was one of four drivers to be penalised multiple times, serving one five-second penalty at a pit stop before also having 10s added to his time at the end of the race.

Consequently, Gasly was demoted from ninth to 12th, behind both Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll, who were also punished for frequently venturing outside the white lines.

“It wasn’t a good day, I made too many mistakes with these track limits, [and it] cost me 15 seconds,” he admitted.

“So I can only be disappointed with myself because obviously, you’re talking a few centimetres, which is nothing.

“But I paid a big price for it and missed out on the points, so I’ve just got to learn from this.

Gasly had out-qualified team-mate Esteban Ocon by two-tenths as Alpine enjoyed a productive qualifying hour on Friday evening to haul two cars inside the top eight.

However, Gasly’s race began to unravel when he was caught flat-footed by the colliding Mercedes at Turn 1, dropping him behind Ocon and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

But the Frenchman has revealed he was also hampered by engine management problems throughout the race, which inspired him to take more risks with overtaking manoeuvres.

“All in all, it was a tough day. I had a good start but went on the outside and had to slow down with the Mercedes in front of me, so I lost another two positions,” he explained.

“And then after that the whole race we had an energy management issues, which cost me straight-line speed throughout the whole race. I tried to compensate for it and took too many risks, so [ultimately] not a good day from us.”

Gasly criticised the FIA’s handling of track limit infringements, claiming that any warnings were directed to him too late by the time they arrived from his engineer.

“It was the story of the whole race,” he bemoaned. “I don’t have any excuses because it’s the same for everyone, and at the end of the day, I took too many obviously.

“I don’t know how many track limits there have been the whole race, but we were always two steps behind from what’s happening, and I think it wasn’t an easy day for us.”

The extreme humidity present during Sunday’s race saw many drivers struggle, including Ocon – who admitted that he vomited in the early exchanges.

However, unlike Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Gasly has not attributed blame to the tough conditions for the spate of penalties he received for exceeding track limits.

“It was the toughest race of the year,” Gasly agreed. “It was clearly very hot in the car, and very physically challenging. I knew it would be like that.

“And I know I’m training really hard, and I have one of the best physical conditions in the paddock. So I usually embrace these conditions.

“And I know it’s challenging for everyone, but today I just didn’t do a good enough job, and I need to learn from this track limits story.”