The CEO of Alpine expects Pierre Gasly to be the technical leader of the team

With Fernando Alonso gone to see if the grass is greener at Aston Martin, Pierre Gasly arrives from AlphaTauri to become the new teammate of Esteban Ocon. Laurent Rossi, Alpine’s CEO, expects a lot from the new recruit: he hopes that he will position himself as the technical leader of the team, ahead of Esteban Ocon, despite the latter’s experience with the French team.

“I hope he will bring us what we need, namely developing the car, because for now, we are still in the middle of the pack and we need to push the car further up the field,” said the team boss of Enstone to Motorsport.com.

« For that, you need drivers who are not only capable of going fast and scoring points with the car’s potential, but also of taking it to the next level,” he reassures. « This means that, starting from Friday’s practice sessions, they will be able to give their opinion to the team and indicate the right direction to follow in order to improve the car,” he adds.

“Assisting in the development of the race car will therefore be the first mission of the Rouen native, in continuation of his role at AlphaTauri, according to Laurent Rossi. He was the technical leader of AlphaTauri in many ways, I believe. We want him to continue this work, to develop the team and himself with us, and to bring us to a new level.”

Rivalry with Esteban Ocon?

The tone is set and the pressure is now placed on the Frenchman’s shoulders, but these responsibilities entrusted to the newcomer might not please Esteban Ocon, who has been a regular driver for Alpine since 2020 – when the team was still competing under the name Renault. The two new teammates are already not the best of friends in the world, it’s well-known since their early years in motorsport. This leadership given to Pierre Gasly could further strain their cooperation and exacerbate their rivalry.

Moreover, Alpine warned Ocon just a few days ago that he should think twice before overtaking his new teammate compared to when it was Fernando Alonso. This warning aims to prevent further tensions – and accidents – between the two drivers, which are costly for their team, both financially and in terms of championship points.

On his side, ex-Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean hopes that the two Frenchmen will be able to set aside their old disputes in order to make the tricolor team triumph. « I wish that they work well together. This should not turn into an internal duel to find out who is in charge here after Fernando Alonso », said the one who currently races in IndyCar.

« It’s good that both of them are experienced and Grand Prix winners. They were not the best of friends, but they must put that behind them. The management here must remain vigilant », he adds. If the atmosphere seems harmonious between the two drivers for now, it remains to be seen how it will evolve once the official start of the season begins in two months, in Bahrain.