Alpine’s hiring situation has attracted a lot of attention lately. With Esteban Ocon leaving the outfit at the end of this year, the French squad needs a new joiner. Before the team stakeholders could make this decision, they invited Flavio Briatore to join them. The Italian had previously managed the Benetton F1 team which later remodeled to Renault. Before setting foot into Alpine, Briatore has made tall claims about leading the team towards race victories. He has also claimed he wants Carlos Sainz to join his squad. And now, Pierre Gasly has given the green light to Briatore’s choice.

A couple of seasons ago, Alpine was a direct competitor to McLaren. But now, the papaya army has moved on to become one of the top three teams in the current season while Alpine is fifth in the Standings. Seeing the need to improve its position, Flavio Briatore has vowed to change the course of the Enstone outfit once the 2026 F1 rules arrive. And to solidify Alpine’s position as one of the leading teams, Briatore wants Sainz as its recruit since the Spaniard has already driven for Ferrari, and he knows how to win Grands Prix too.

Flavio Briatore has been absent from the F1 scene ever since his 2008 Singapore GP scandal. At that time, the FIA found Briatore guilty of fixing the race by obliging Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash his car so that Fernando Alonso won. Following the investigation, Briatore landed a lifetime ban from F1 but this ruling was overturned later on. Still, he remained on the sidelines for a long time before announcing his comeback in May 2024. And as soon as this news got out, Flavio stated his first act would be to try and bring Carlos Sainz to Alpine.

While Ocon is exiting the French team, Pierre Gasly has already signed a multi-year contract with Alpine. And whoever joins the squad now, will be Gasly’s partner for the next few F1 seasons. Hence, the ex-AlphaTauri racer was asked about his opinions on whom he wants as his teammates. He said, “I think it’s quite clear, Carlos [Sainz] is the most experienced and the most valuable guy out there. I would love to have him next to me next year. He’ll definitely bring a lot to the team and that would be a great pairing.”

Thus, Gasly has sided with Briatore’s selection for Alpine. However, Carlos Sainz will not stay with Alpine for long even if he does sign with the team. This is because speculations claim he has already shown interest in joining Audi when it makes its F1 debut in 2026. So, who are the other potential recruits whom Pierre Gasly might choose as his Alpine partner?

Pierre Gasly names F1 legend’s son as a potential Alpine pick

German F1 Champion Michael Schumacher is a household name for every Formula 1 fan. However, his son, Mick, has failed to earn the reputation that Michael has commanded during his peak years in the sport. Mick Schumacher joined Haas in 2021, but Guenther Steiner dropped him in 2023 to take up Nico Hulkenberg. Currently, he drives for Alpine at the World Endurance Championship. Given that he already has a contract with the French team, it is unsurprising that he is a potential option for Esteban Ocon’s seat.

Speaking of the choices Pierre Gasly has considered other than Carlos Sainz, the Frenchman said, “We also have some very good options – we’ve got Jack [Doohan], we’ve got Mick [Schumacher] who has been in F1.” This way, Gasly confirmed that Mick will go up against Jack Doohan, the son of Michael Schumacher’s close friend Mick Doohan. Amongst those two racers, Alpine can select their recruit for the upcoming season.

Speaking of the upcoming 2025 F1 season, some other racers who are in search of a seat include Valtteri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen. In fact, Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson is also looking for a seat while all rumors claim he will get to team up with Yuki Tsunoda at VCARB. As Haas has already confirmed Oliver Bearman as its recruit, if Jack Doohan joins Alpine, and Liam Lawson joins VCARB, there will be a rookie trio in F1 for the first time since 2019. Do you think Doohan, Lawson, and Bearman will live up to the expectations of their recruiters in their debut seasons? Let us know in the comments below.