Alpine and AlphaTauri have confirmed their 2023 lineups ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix as Pierre Gasly aims for a fresh start and rookie Nyck de Vries fills his seat.
Alpine confirmed this morning that they have signed Pierre Gasly for the 2023 Formula 1 season, while AlphaTauri announced Nyck de Vries as his replacement.
Alpine finally landed on their man for next year after being abandoned by Fernando Alonso – as he moves to Aston Martin – and publicly shut down by reserve driver, Oscar Piastri (McLaren) for a seat next year,
The team says Gasly was always their number one target and they have finally got it in writing as the Frenchman makes a move away from Red Bull’s sister team having raced for Red Bull and AlphaTauri in his career so far.
Gasly has 103 races under his belt, which include one impressive win as he joins an all-French line-up with Esteban Ocon for 2023.
“It was a clear call and definitely very attractive,” Gasly told Sky Sports F1.
“It felt the right time for me to take my own start and take my career on my own and start this incredible story with Alpine.”
Speaking about the new addition, Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer said: “He brings a wealth of experience, and speed and those are the two things we were looking for.”
AlphaTauri then almost immediately announced that they had signed Mercedes reserve and recent Williams stand-in, Nyck de Vries.
This comes after a hugely impressive race debut from De Vries, after he stepped in last-minute for Alex Albon in Monza in September.
The 27-year-old is a Formula 2 champion (2019) and more recently has triumphed on the Formula E circuit, and has also stepped in during free practice outings for Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Williams earlier this year.
Speaking about his big step up to Formula 1, De Vries said: “I’m extremely excited to be joining Scuderia AlphaTauri for 2023.
“After Formula 2, I took a slightly different path with motorsport, but F1 has always been my dream and I’m grateful to be able to fulfill it.
“I’ve had a lot of chances to experience the 2022 car this year and I think that has put me in a great position for the upcoming season, I hope this has helped to prepare me for what is to come.”
