Gasly contacts Renault management over de Meo exit

Jun.27 (GMM)  Pierre Gasly says he took action to get clarity following the unexpected resignation of Renault CEO Luca de Meo.

De Meo, who is heading to the parent company of fashion brand Gucci, was a key figure behind Alpine’s F1 structure, having both brought in Flavio Briatore as a senior advisor and led the overall Formula 1 direction for the Renault-owned team.

Gasly, who currently leads the team from the cockpit, acknowledged after the Canadian Grand Prix: "He's the one who brought me into the team. I need to sit down with the management to discuss and find out what this means for the team."

While Briatore downplayed the impact of de Meo’s departure, insisting it changes "nothing" for Alpine’s F1 program, Gasly confirmed in Austria that he had personally followed up on his concerns.

"It's something that was important to me," he told L'Equipe. "I've spoken to everyone on the phone – namely Luca and other people involved at the management level. I needed confirmation regarding the project I've been involved in since joining Alpine.

"These are normal conversations given the situation, but there are no concerns about what comes next."

Asked to elaborate on the discussions, the 29-year-old added: "I have the necessary answers, but you can understand that it's not something I can make public.

"I will let the team go into more detail. For me, it was personally important to have these conversations, they were very clear, and everything is very clear in my head. That's the most important thing."

Gasly also acknowledged that uncertainty is being felt more broadly throughout the Enstone operation.

"At Enstone, some people are asking questions and that's legitimate," he said. "But Flavio has already given answers and everyone knows where they stand.

"It doesn't change anything about the work to be done or the evolution of the team."

On the sporting side, Alpine continues to struggle in 2024, but Gasly said much of the team’s focus has already shifted to the 2026 regulations, including their upcoming switch to Mercedes customer engines and gearboxes.

"We should be much more competitive," he said of the 2026 project.

"I'm closely following the development of the new car and for the moment we're happy with what we're doing. We don't know where the others are, but we have a vague idea of what we think is acceptable and for the moment we're holding the course.

"There are six months of development left. I hope that our difficult sporting situation and this tenth place in the championship will give us an advantage in terms of wind tunnel hours and that we can use this advantage as best as possible to arrive at the first 2026 tests with a car that should be in a good window."

Initial testing of the 2026 cars is expected to begin in January.

Gasly was also asked about the recent struggles of new teammate Franco Colapinto, who stepped in after Jack Doohan was dropped.

"First you're celebrated, then you're criticised," Gasly told Kronen Zeitung. "It changes quickly.

"Franco seems mature and focused on the essentials. We have a good relationship."]]>