SUZUKA, Japan: Frenchman Pierre Gasly will race alongside compatriot Esteban Ocon in a race-winning line-up at Renault-owned Alpine next year, with Nyck de Vries replacing him at AlphaTauri, the two Formula 1 teams said on Saturday (Oct 8).
The 26-year-old will fill the seat vacated by double world champion Fernando Alonso, who is leaving the Enstone-based team for Aston Martin at the end of the year.
Gasly’s move means de Vries, a Mercedes reserve, will race in his first full season in Formula 1, joining compatriot and reigning world champion Max Verstappen on the grid and in the Red Bull family.
The 27-year-old, a champion in both Formula 2 and electric Formula E, scored an impressive points finish on his debut as a stand-in at Williams for Alexander Albon at the Italian Grand Prix last month.
Gasly’s signing also allows Alpine to save face after losing Oscar Piastri to McLaren.
The team were originally set to give the highly rated Australian, a member of the Alpine young driver programme, his Formula 1 debut as Alonso’s replacement.
Saturday’s announcements fill two more vacancies on the 2023 grid with only a seat each at Haas and Williams now up for grabs.
Gasly, who briefly raced alongside Verstappen at Red Bull before being demoted to AlphaTauri, scored his win at the Italian Grand Prix in 2020.
Alonso’s switch to Aston Martin was announced in August.
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