Pierre Gasly is still unsure whose colours he will be wearing next season as speculation over his Formula 1 future rumbles on.
The Frenchman will definitely be on the grid in 2023, given it was 'confirmed' earlier this summer he would be honouring the final year of his contract with AlphaTauri. But one of silly season's more significant twists means he might yet switch allegiance.
With the door closed to a second chance with Red Bull any time soon, Gasly has made no secret of his desire to consider other options. And after losing Fernando Alonso to Aston Martin and letting Oscar Piastri slip through their fingers, Alpine are the ones who are keen to offer him a fresh start.
Gasly is understood to be their top target to race alongside Esteban Ocon next year. But, in order for AlphaTauri to agree to let him leave a year earlier than planned, they must first find a replacement they are happy with.
It was originally supposed to be Colton Herta, but that move broke down as it became clear the FIA would not bend superlicence rules to let the American switch from IndyCar. But instead of immediately blocking Gasly's exit, they have instead turned to the in-demand Nyck de Vries after he was spotted meeting adviser Helmut Marko.
Gasly must now wait to see what de Vries' choice is for a 2023 seat, before knowing if he can leave for Alpine. And he admitted as much when he told Sky Sports: "At the moment this is out of my control.
"[AlphaTauri] have given me my first win in F1 and my first chance in Formula 1. It doesn't mean I'm going to stay there all my life because my ambitions in Formula 1 are to fight at the front, and that's what I want.
"It's been five years at AlphaTauri. We'll see if I do another year there, but at the moment that's what's planned. If this is what happened I'll give my 110% to this team. There are a couple of things that need to be sorted first before we talk more about this situation. In my situation there are only positives. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks."
If de Vries chooses AlphaTauri then Gasly will be free to complete his move, but if he were to choose Alpine – they also have interest in the Dutchman – then he will be forced to stay for another year. The same is likely to be true if de Vries were to opt for Williams, unless AlphaTauri have another name in mind as a possible replacement.
