Pierre Gasly has expressed skepticism about the speculation surrounding Valtteri Bottas joining Alpine, emphasizing that such rumors amount to “just noise.” Speaking ahead of the ongoing 2025 Formula 1 season, Gasly urged his team to concentrate on the difficult task of improving their performance and climbing up the Constructors’ Championship standings.
Gasly questions the value of Bottas joining Alpine amid team struggles
As Alpine faces its final season with works team status under the Renault power unit, the squad has struggled to make a notable impact in 2025. Through the first 12 races, Alpine has secured just 19 points, all contributed by Pierre Gasly. At the recent British Grand Prix in Silverstone, Gasly achieved a sixth-place finish, marking the team’s third top-10 result this year.
Meanwhile, Alpine’s second driver, Jack Doohan, along with reserve Franco Colapinto, have yet to earn points, fueling speculation that Alpine might seek to capitalize on the experience of Valtteri Bottas. Bottas, a ten-time Grand Prix winner, is currently Mercedes’ reserve driver and recently lost his race seat at Sauber, making him a candidate for Alpine’s second cockpit.
Despite this, Gasly—Alpine’s sole points scorer this season—showed little enthusiasm for the idea of Bottas joining. When asked if Bottas would be a useful benchmark teammate, Gasly dismissed the reports as distractions.
I don’t think that’s the case,
Gasly stated, underlining his belief that it was simply background noise.
He elaborated on the team’s situation:
I think it’s a lot of noise. I think the car, I’m showing every weekend what we can do with it, doing a very good job on Saturdays and putting it in places that on paper we all agree we should not really be.
Gasly acknowledged the challenges the team faces:
It’s just tricky, it’s a very tight midfield and we are at the back of it. There will always be noise, especially considering what happened earlier in the year, but I think at the end of the day we should just focus on the work ahead.
Looking ahead, Gasly warned of a tough campaign:
It’s going to be a long season,
he said.
We don’t have upgrades, the car is not in the best place, but all of us need to focus on what we’ve got to do and try and do it the best way that we can.
Mercedes confirms Alpine’s interest in Bottas but stays neutral
Amid the ongoing discussions about Bottas’s potential move, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has publicly acknowledged Alpine’s growing interest in the Finn. Wolff revealed that he has had several conversations about Bottas with Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore and confirmed that Colapinto is currently being evaluated on a race-by-race basis in the second Alpine car.
Despite this engagement, Wolff emphasized that Mercedes intends to maintain a neutral stance on the matter. When asked at Silverstone whether he had spoken to Briatore about Bottas’s future, Wolff remarked:
I saw him today and we talked about Valtteri. It seems that the interest in Valtteri is increasing even more.
He continued, expressing personal support for Bottas’s career prospects:
He deserves that seat. If someone grabs him as a race driver, we’ll let him go. Of course, with a tear in the corner of our eye.
Wolff clarified that while he offers Bottas friendly advice, the final decision rests with the driver and his management.
I try to stay in the background.
—Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal
Alpine’s broader challenges and upcoming decisions
Alpine’s midfield battle remains intense as the team grapples with a car that has yet to unlock its full potential. With limited upgrades planned for the remainder of the season and a strong competition among midfield teams, Gasly’s call for focus on current work rather than outside noise highlights the urgency Alpine faces. The team’s path forward will involve not only on-track performance improvements but also decisions regarding driver lineup, as the evaluation period for Franco Colapinto continues.
The speculation around Bottas represents both an opportunity and a distraction, but Alpine’s future depends on solving technical and competitive challenges. With Gasly leading the charge for points and consistency, Alpine’s priority will be stabilizing their position and striving for better results to finish the season stronger in the Constructors’ Championship.
