Pierre Gasly and football, an enriching passion for his F1 career
Passionate about football since his earliest childhood, Pierre Gasly became a co-shareholder of FC Versailles at the beginning of the year. A way for him to get involved in a sport that punctuates his life as a driver.
From asphalt to grass, there is only one step. Pierre Gasly crossed it last March, becoming the third shareholder of FC Versailles, a club from Yvelines playing in the National championship. In an interview with Autosport, the Alpine driver reflected on the proposal made to him by Alexandre Mulliez and Fabien Lazare: « They explained to me their project, their vision of the club, what they wanted to do and how. Then they asked me if I wanted to join them in this project. » Drawing on his experience as a high-level athlete, Pierre Gasly did not hesitate for long.
More predispositions in karting.
As a child, the native of Rouen juggles between track laps and soccer balls. Starting karting at the age of 9, Pierre Gasly quickly had to make a choice between his two passions, unable to fully commit to both fields. He then chose to put away the cleats at the expense of his gloves. “Even though they are my two biggest passions, my love for karting and racing was a little greater. And then, I think I was a little more competitive in karting than in football – the first one brought me more trophies,” he says.
His demotion to the B team, due to lack of involvement, put an end to his future in football. However, he still has an attachment to this sport, regularly wandering in the stands of the Parc des Princes. His number 10 in play, in reference to Zinedine Zidane, reminds us of his enduring crush: “Honestly, I still dream about it. The sport itself, playing with the ball and being with my teammates. And all the atmosphere surrounding being with the team, going to different places and challenging other teams from other cities.”
A beneficial passion for one’s career
Pushing back the football pitches is one of his ambitions when he leaves the paddock. In the meantime, he is using his youthful experience to benefit his racing career. When we are in the engineering room, it’s like a football locker room. The only difference is that everyone is dressed. But in Formula 1 too, everyone has to be together and very united as a team, with a lot of transparency and honesty, and everyone has to work towards the same goal, indicates the winner at Monza in 2020.
By joining a football club at a young age, he assimilated certain important values, such as the rigour of training. His position as a winger also allowed him to develop very, very good cardio. Pierre Gasly considers the balance that this second passion brings him, allowing him to be part of the world elite in his discipline: “I need something other than Formula 1 in my life to mentally balance myself and feel good.”
