Gasly: Mindset for Alpine is "completely different" to Red Bull F1 move
Pierre Gasly says he has a "completely different" mindset for his Alpine Formula 1 move thanks to lessons taken from his failed stint at Red Bull in 2019.
Gasly joined Alpine for 2023 after spending the bulk of his career with Red Bull's sister team, AlphaTauri, and its predecessor, Toro Rosso, making his debut for the latter in 2017.
Gasly was promoted to Red Bull's senior team in 2019 as Daniel Ricciardo's replacement, only to return to Toro Rosso 12 races later in a straight swap with Alex Albon during the summer break after struggling for form.
In an end-of-season interview with Autosport, Gasly explained how he thought the lessons taken from his failed move up the grid to Red Bull would help ensure his time with Alpine was a success.
"It feels like it was an eternity ago that I was with Red Bull, and since then, so much has happened, professionally and personally," Gasly said.
"I really feel like I've developed in all areas. I remember when I came in Red Bull, the feeling that I had going there, and now the feeling, my approach and mindset that I have going into Alpine, is completely different.
"I have a lot clearer ideas. I think it's more like clarity in my mind on what's needed to perform, and what's needed to be competitive.
"[I want to] mainly use that experience that I've gathered with AlphaTauri, in good and bad times, and gathered the experience that I learned in Red Bull to make the best out of this opportunity with Alpine.
"I'm a lot more confident that this is going to be very successful, I have no doubt about it. 2019, even if you think it's only three years ago, I think personally I've evolved a lot."
Pierre Gasly, Alpine A522
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Upon returning to Red Bull's sister squad, Gasly quickly emerged as the team leader, scoring a podium in Brazil later in 2019 before his shock victory at Monza the following year.
The performances caused his stock to rise considerably, making him Alpine's prime candidate last year after Fernando Alonso's departure and the loss of junior driver Oscar Piastri to McLaren.
Gasly got his first taste of Alpine F1 machinery in November's Abu Dhabi test after the grand prix, giving him a precious opportunity to adjust to the team given the reduced three-day pre-season test in Bahrain next month.
He explained he was joining Alpine with a "very open mind" about the car, particularly after spending so long within Red Bull's operations.
"For sure, it's not going to give a lot of time before the season starts, but I'll do all the prep that is needed and at the end of the day, I know I can adapt quickly," said Gasly.
"I've done it in the past. I just need to be aware that things might be very different. It might not be. It might feel quite natural straight away. It might not feel natural straightaway.
"But it's very important to come with an open mind."
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