Gasly open to exploring engine options: 'We want to be competitive'

F1 News

Gasly comments on move to a customer engine
20 June at 15:05
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  • Sophia Crothall

Alpine are now rumoured of wanting to work with a Mercedes engine for 2026. Ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, Pierre Gasly has made it clear that the team needs to begin improving and how a new engine could help. However, the Frenchman warns there are some limitations when it comes to being a customer team.

It has been reported that Alpine might become a customer team. They have been in discussions with Mercedes, according to F1 Insider. For Gasly, who has experience working with both works and customer teams, hopes the potential move could help the team's clear target. "I think as a team, it's important to consider all options and then make your mind on what's best in terms of performance. We want to be competitive. We want to be fighting at the front," Gasly said.

Could a new engine help Alpine become competitive?

Other customer teams have also seen great success this season, with McLaren out-performing their supplier, Mercedes, who also supplies Williams. McLaren's success is certainly an attractive factor for the Frenchman: "Well, they're clearly showing what's possible to achieve. And you've got signs that it's possible to be competitive without running your own engine. That's for sure in the balance. But more globally, I think it's just important to have all the options on the table. I trust the top management to make the right decision for the team," Gasly added. 

"Fundamentally, being a works team, you don't have any limitations. You set your own limits and that's the advantage of being a works team. From the moment you work with another party, there is a clear parity between all the different parties, especially on the engine side. That's a bit of the flexibility that you can have as a works team."

Gasly has made it clear that the team needs to continue making improvements: "There have been a lot of changes internally, whether it's on the management side, or whether it's operation processes at the factory. And there have been a lot of improvements in many different departments, which doesn't correlate straight away the week after onto more performance into the track." Nevertheless, he expects the performance to improve soon.