OPINION: Why Pierre Gasly is Formula One’s most underrated talent
- Olivia Fitchet
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Written by Olivia Fitchet, Edited by Marit Everett
Despite the A525 being difficult to drive, slow and non-competitive Pierre Gasly made 10 Q3 appearances across the 2025 season. The Frenchman is currently a driver for Alpine, and in his third season with the team. Making his debut in 2017, Gasly has proven his worth within this sport, from growing up surrounded by the motorsport world to immersing himself within it. Over the years he has captivated fans across the globe as he progresses within this sport each season.
Gasly is one of the most underrated drivers currently on the F1 grid, being in this sport for nearly a decade, he has grown, adapted and excelled in this industry.
Strong career stats despite racing in midfield machinery
Gasly consistently outperforms his machinery, he is a driver that can regularly deliver results above the realistic potential of a midfield car. This has been proven across his career as he has driven for Toro Rosso, Alpha Tauri and Alpine as he maximises points where other drivers don’t.
Throughout the 2025 season, Gasly had a few good race weekends finishing in the top ten, with P6 being his highest finish of the season. An impressive result despite the continuous problems he faced with the car.
Over the course of his career, Gasly has raced in 175 Grands Prix, obtaining one win, five career podiums and three fastest laps. Though these aren't exceptional stats compared to other title contender drivers, they reflect true excellence from a driver who drives for a midfield team.
2. Provides exceptional technical feedback
Gasly is widely praised by engineers, for the detailed and precise feedback he offers. Throughout his time with not only Alpine but other teams he has been a part of, Gasly has demonstrated his ability to accurately describe the cars balance, tyres and the aerodynamics during a race weekend.
With this detailed feedback at the end of each race weekend it helps his team’s engineers quickly identify what's limiting their performance and make changes to meet the drivers standards.
The way Gasly is able to communicate these problems professionally combined with his consistency behind the wheel, allows his team to perfectly articulate the issues within the car and improve as a team.
3. Mental Resilience
Gasly is a driver who has incredible mental resilience. In 2019, Gasly was promoted to one of the top teams, Red Bull, midway through his second season in F1. He endured enormous pressure throughout the first 12 races, as he was set to compete alongside Max Verstappen, one of the fastest drivers on the grid.
Gasly was given limited time to adapt to a different car and team which all operated differently to what he was used to. He was expected to immediately progress which ended up leading to him getting demoted back to Toro Rosso after he was unable to perform.
When he was asked how he took the demotion back to Toro Rosso, Gasly said, “It almost felt like a relief, not a nice energy—I’m there to do my thing and try to give my best, but it’s a lot of negativity. I go through that, I just want to drive.”
After this turning point in his career, he didn’t take a step back but rebuilt his confidence and career. A change which can be seen through all the achievements he has earned since leaving Red Bull. Going on to winning his first win with Toro Rosso in 2020 at the Belgium Grand Prix.
After years of being part of the Red Bull family, Gasly left the Red Bull driver programme at the end of the 2022 F1 season. Moving to Alpine for the 2023 season, a team where he was able to significantly make a difference with the car setups and provide input. This move not only excelled his confidence but the team's confidence as well.
4. Qualifying excellence and strong race craft
Gasly can be seen to frequently get cars into Q3 that statistically you wouldn't think would be there. This was notably impressive during last season when he got his struggling Alpine into 10 Q3 appearances.
Over his racing career, he has showcased his strong overtaking ability and defensive driving, these skills are particularly evident in mixed race conditions and tight midfield battles. Battles which often go unnoticed on Live F1 streams and are usually hidden within the highlights after the race.
5. Delivers but it goes unnoticed
While he doesn't always grab major headlines, he quietly delivers solid point finishes. However, with Alpine's ongoing operational and technical issues it creates a problem of Gasly having limited opportunities to showcase his abilities. This is something the team and him have been working on, hoping to see some improvements in the coming season.
6. Excels over his teammates
Since Gasly made his F1 debut in 2018, he has never lost to a teammate, excluding his 12 races with Red Bull. During the 2025 season Gasly earned 100% of the team points across the 24 races. Each weekend he strives to do better for himself and the team and this stat proves his efforts to get the recognition he deserves.
This year Alpine will have one of the more dominant power units, the Mercedes power unit. This potentially opens the door for Alpine to be competing with some of the bigger teams this season. As well as an opportunity for Gasly to be able to showcase more of his ability, talent to be winning more races and being on the podium.
His move to the Alpine was a crucial step for both his career and the future of the team. They both have the ability to help each other succeed within this sport, with more assistance, recognition and opportunities. They could create quite the impression within this sport, let's see what the future holds for Pierre Gasly.
