Helmut Marko reveals if Pierre Gasly could join Alpine in 2023

Red Bull adviser Dr Helmut Marko has affirmed that there is no get-out clause for Pierre Gasly amid links to Alpine.



The French team are looking for a replacement after Fernando Alonso was announced as an Aston Martin driver after the Hungarian Grand Prix.



The Spaniard wanted a longer deal that the one on the table but, due to his age, Alpine were reluctant to do so, particularly as they wanted to free up space in the coming years for Oscar Piastri.



As a result, Alonso has made a deal with billionaire businessman Lawrence Stroll to race for him next season in place of the retiring Sebastian Vettel.







READ: Franz Tost comments on Pierre Gasly exit clause, Red Bull call-up



Alpine then confirmed that they had promoted Piastri to their race seat for 2022, but the Australian appears to have made other plans, and he is widely reported to have signed for McLaren to replace Daniel Ricciardo.



The Enstone-based team are adamant that they have a clause with Piastri that obliges him to race with them in 2023, but manager Mark Webber evidently feels as though he found a loophole in the contract.



Should Piastri join the British team, Gasly is one of the options Alpine could turn to, but he has a contract with AlphaTauri until the end of next season.



The 26-year-old also has a deal with Red Bull that lasts until then, after which he is free to find another team.



For now though, having extended his stay with the Faenza-based squad, Dr Marko has confirmed that the former Red Bull racer is staying put.



“There is no exit clause for Gasly, there was none before the summer break and there will be none after the summer break,” he told Sport1.



The Austrian, however, is determined to give Gasly the opportunity to win races in a competitive car that suits him.



“Pierre is very talented, he thinks everything through carefully and is very focused,” added Dr Marko.




Mattia Binotto warns of ‘considerable problem’, urges the #FIA not to give in to Mercedes demand https://t.co/PLhieuIyWm — Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) August 12, 2022




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“With the right car, he can be at the forefront. That is our job now.”



AlphaTauri boss, Franz Tost, added that, should either Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez be unable to contest a race, Gasly would be the first man they would turn to.



“It makes no sense for Red Bull to let Pierre go, if a Red Bull driver fails, there is no other adequate driver who can step in – only Gasly can do that,” he explained.



Gasly has managed a best finish of fifth at this year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but other than that, results for the Red Bull junior side have been poor this campaign.



Gasly is currently 13 th  in the Drivers’ Standings, with his AlphaTauri team sat eighth in the Constructors’ Championship after 13 rounds of the season.
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