Gasly ‘physically and mentally’ in the best place he’s ever been ahead of 2024 season

Pierre Gasly is hoping for bigger and better results in 2024 as he prepares for his second season with Alpine, once again lining up alongside fellow Frenchman Esteban Ocon.

Gasly achieved a podium last season, with third place at Zandvoort his standout result, while Ocon made it to the rostrum in Monaco. But Alpine as a whole had a tricky campaign, with numerous backroom changes and Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer departing midway through the year.

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Coming home a distant sixth in the championship, the team have opted for a radical new concept in the hopes of fighting further forward.

“We took a bold approach in the new car after feeling we were plateauing last year, although we finished on the podium a couple of times it wasn’t good enough,” Gasly said.

“We felt the need to go into a new project, which we know it might make the start of the year more complicated than we would like, but we know there might be a steeper development curve so that’s what we are targeting.

“Personally, I know I’m at my best physically, I have experience in the team, seven years in Formula 1 now so I know exactly what I need to work on, how I’ve got to prepare myself. So, I’m feeling good. We first need to gauge that new car, where we start from, and work from there.”

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Gasly spent much of the off-season training in Dubai, acclimatising to the hotter weather in anticipation of the opening two races of the season, with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia forming a double-header straight after testing.

It will be a tough physical test for all the drivers after a decent layoff – but fortunately for Gasly, he’s been able to get the competitive juices flowing with a little help from his former team mate.

“I’m in the best place I’ve ever been physically, mentally and just very excited to get started… 24 races, we know it will be a very intense season, lots of travel which limits the time we have to train so we have to build up that capacity ahead of the year.

"There was a lot of sweat going on [in Dubai], good preparation ahead of Bahrain and Saudi. It was good, Yuki [Tsunoda] was out there so we had good karting sessions, bumped into each other a couple of times in the gym, pushed each other, played a bit of Padel. Just fun to see him in a different mindset and get in that competitive mindset.”

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Gasly admitted that learning how to interact with a new team took quite a bit of his energy last year, all of which he can now put towards training and racing. But with plenty of F1 experience garnered at three different teams now under his belt, the Frenchman should be in something approaching his prime. He already has one race win to his name – and is keen to add some more silverware to his collection.

“We had two [podium] trophies last season, definitely want more this season," he added. "I just turned 28 so definitely time for some more and to chase that second victory, and that’s what we’ll go for – that’s why I’m in Formula 1, I want to perform and fight for those top positions.

“The target for me personally is always the same – to do the best job I can for the team with the car I am given.”