Two transfers in one night! Who has secured Formula 1 seats in 2023 and where?

European Formula 1 fans woke up to an unusual morning. Most of them were waiting for qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix to start early for them when they suddenly had two big news stories to read. Pierre Gasly moved to Team Alpine and Nyck de Vries signed for Alpha Tauri after a great performance at Monza in Williams.

It was two o’clock in the morning in the Czech Republic when the news of the French rider’s shaky transfer emerged. He will in fact meet compatriot Esteban Ocon, with whom he had at least a strained relationship, at Alpino.

the 26-year-old Frenchman will also be ending a nine-year career spent with teams associated with the Red Bull brand. “They (Alpine) have shown potential, they have a team fighting at the front for podiums and even race wins,” the Rouen native justified his move.

But Gasly is also sure to look back on his years with Red Bull fondly. He was able to win the Italian Grand Prix last year on the Alpha Tauri and to take third place in Baku, Azerbaijan, last year.

The other big news was the announcement of Nyck de Vries. He will fill the Alpha Tauri seat just after Gasly. The queen of motorsport and the Red Bull family will thus be expanded by another Dutchman. And he must prepare himself for the fact that there will be a lot of pressure on him from the start.

the 27-year-old has been in the minds of fans since the recent race at Monza in Italy, where he jumped in for the ailing Alexander Albon. However, even with a bit of luck, he scored points on his Williams debut, leapfrogging the team’s other driver Nicholas Latifi in the drivers’ standings.

De Vries now moves to a stable for whom the Monza race is a home race. His teammate will be Júki Cunoda, who will have no easy task ahead of him. At least at the start, the Japanese will have to grapple with the role of team leader and more experienced driver.

The experience of the last two years alongside Gasly can certainly help him. He, on the other hand, is expected not only to return to the limelight, but also to try to mend relations with his former friend Ocon. This too will be key to a successful collaboration in Alpino.

Source