F1 News
Alpine clear: 'Our marketing strategy is not focused on this'
- GPblog.com
Alpine is still hard at work behind the scenes looking for a successor to Fernando Alonso. Where the partnership with Oscar Piastri went awry, Pierre Gasly seems to be at the top of the wish-list. According to Laurent Rossi, at least his nationality is not a factor in the choice.
Although Gasly still has an ongoing contract with AlphaTauri, his current team is reportedly willing to let him leave for Alpine. Before that, however, AlphaTauri wants to attract a replacement first, which is still awaited.
If the driver were to end up with the French formation, it would have two Frenchmen in the team. It would create an unusual situation, but Rossi stressed in conversation with Auto, Motor und Sport that ultimately it is not an end in itself to achieve this.
"Not at all," he replies. "That would maybe be something nice when we have achieved our goals. With Alonso, we have a Spaniard in the team. In Spain we sell relatively few cars. We have Fernando because he is one of the best drivers in the world. Our marketing strategy is not focused on the nationality of our drivers."
Waiting for Alonso's successor to be announced
Rossi stressed that he would not comment on the other candidates for the seat. The Alpine CEO believes that Otmar Szafnauer is better with the search for a good successor and therefore believes he should get involved in other matters within the team.