Pierre Gasly has emerged from the tumultuous 2025 Formula 1 season with a tongue-in-cheek remark that encapsulates both relief and irony: the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was “the best night of the year.” After a grueling campaign behind the wheel of the Alpine, where he scored a mere 22 points—the lowest tally of his career—Gasly’s expression is one of triumph over adversity as he finally bids farewell to a disappointing chapter.
The 2025 season was nothing short of a nightmare for the French driver, marred by the inadequacies of the Alpine A525, widely regarded as the least competitive car on the grid. Gasly’s performance was a stark contrast to his previous seasons, where he had only finished outside the top 10 twice since 2019. His highlight of the year—a P4 finish in Bahrain—seemed like a distant memory in light of the challenges that followed.
Despite the dismal results, Gasly remains gracious, acknowledging the collective effort of his team. “It’s the best night of the year,” he reiterated, emphasizing the relief of closing this difficult chapter. “Very tough day, I think the whole season was. Looking back, I’m still very happy and very proud of how the team managed to end such a season, because when you don’t have a competitive car, it’s very difficult and easy to give up.”
Gasly’s words reflect a deep respect for the resilience of his team members, who persevered through a trying year. “Nonetheless, despite the tough results, everyone stuck with it and gave their best,” he added, looking ahead to the promise of the next season. With a touch of humor, he quipped about the A525, saying, “I told them to keep it [the car] out of my sight next year. I’m sure we can put it in a corner in Enstone. It hasn’t been the kindest car to drive.”
In a decisive shift, Alpine has begun to refocus its efforts on the future, having been one of the first teams to abandon the 2025 campaign in favor of preparations for the 2026 season. With a switch to Mercedes engines, Gasly expressed optimism about the upcoming changes. “It’s definitely there,” he stated when asked about the team’s potential for competitiveness next year. “There’ll be a lot of work to do over the winter. We already started for next year. From my side, I’m very optimistic on the car we are putting together, chassis side, engine wise, I think everything is looking good. We’re hitting all our targets. So very excited for ’26.”
The departure of Renault, marking the end of a nearly 50-year relationship, has cast a bittersweet shadow over the team. Gasly acknowledged the emotional toll this transition has taken on the whole team. “It’s been quite an emotional weekend for everyone in the garage,” he reflected. “We did some sort of a farewell feature yesterday with all the guys. You see tears in the eyes, and you just see how much it meant to all these guys. So on my side, thanks to the guys. It’s been a huge pleasure to work with all of them.”
With a legacy built on teamwork and camaraderie, Gasly expressed gratitude for the support he received during his tenure. “Every single individual, whether it’s on the engineering side or mechanics side, they definitely supported me a lot, rooted for me for all these three years. And in the end, we managed to get a couple of podiums together. And I’m sure we’ll still see some of these faces in the paddock.”
As the curtain falls on the dismal 2025 season, all eyes will be on Gasly and the Alpine team as they gear up for a fresh start in 2026, fueled by hope and a renewed sense of purpose. The journey ahead promises to be filled with challenges, but if Gasly’s resilience is anything to go by, the best is yet to come.
