Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon are both out of contract at the end of the season. And after the team’s miserable start to the season, they’re contemplating their future.
Gasly only joined the team last year following his exit from AlphaTauri. Ocon, meanwhile, has been with the Enstone outfit since 2020 after a year on the sidelines as Mercedes reserve driver.
Alpine are a team with lofty ambitions. They previously spoke of being a regular podium-finisher by the time the 2024 season rolled around.
But as it is, they’ve been one of F1’s poorest teams so far this term. Like Williams and Sauber, they’ve yet to score a point, and they sit second from bottom of the constructors’ championship.
It’s a huge step in the wrong direction after they finished a respectable sixth in the 2014 standings with 120 points and two podiums. And it’s even led to speculation about a possible sale.
While all of this has been happening on the race track, there’s been extensive upheaval off it. Alpine have sacked a string of key figures including team principal Otmar Szafnauer and CEO Laurent Rossi.
Gasly and Ocon, both of whom are Grand Prix winners, will be aware of possible opportunities elsewhere with more than half the grid out of contract. Indeed, they’ve already been linked with a spot at Sauber, set to become Audi in 2026.
Gasly’s contract includes an extension clause based on Alpine’s performances, but they’re unlikely to meet the benchmark. Ted Kravitz noticed that the former Red Bull driver didn’t look ‘happy’ all weekend in China as his teammate got the first taste of the A524’s upgrades.
Alpine line up possible replacement for Pierre Gasly or Esteban Ocon
According to journalist Joe Saward, both Gasly and Ocon are ‘looking for opportunities’ before they sign any extension at Alpine. It’s making for an ‘interesting’ situation.
This could potentially open the door, Saward says, for reserve driver Jack Doohan. After every team retained their line-up for the first time in F1 history, we could see a rookie on the grid in 2025.
Who is 2025 Alpine contender Jack Doohan?
Doohan started out at the Red Bull academy but left to become an Alpine junior in 2022. They backed him in his debut Formula 2 season with Virtuosi, where he scored three podiums and four pole positions.
He added three more wins to his tally in 2023 as he finished third in the championship behind Sauber junior Theo Pourchaire and Mercedes’ Frederik Vesti. You can see his full F2 stats below.
Rather than racing in another series this year, Doohan is committed to his duties as Alpine reserve driver. He’s previously driven in four practice sessions for the team, two in Mexico and two in Abu Dhabi.
Alpine persuaded the 21-year-old to turn down offers to compete elsewhere and focus on his back-up role. He’s optimistic about securing a seat in the ‘very near future’.
His old F2 boss Andy Roche has called him a ‘complete package’ in an interview with Formula Scout, while Ocon admits he ‘definitely’ deserves a seat. The Frenchman might inadvertently play a big role in that coming to pass.
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