Pierre Gasly has been officially announced as Fernando Alonso’s replacement at Alpine in 2023, leaving the Red Bull set-up for the first time in his Formula 1 career.

Alonso’s departure to Aston Martin in early August led to controversy regarding the vacancy he left behind, as Alpine attempted to promote Oscar Piastri but found he had already signed a deal with McLaren. The French constructor then turned its attentions to Gasly, and while AlphaTauri’s attempts to sign Colton Herta as his replacement fell through, it has allowed the 2020 Italian Grand Prix winner to leave one year before the end of his contract.

“I am delighted to join the Alpine family and begin this new chapter in my Formula 1 career,” Gasly said. “Driving for a team that has French roots is something very special. I know the strengths of Alpine, having raced against them over the past couple of years, and clearly their progress and ambition is very impressive.

“I wish to thank Red Bull as this marks the end of our nine-year journey together. It is thanks to their trust and support that I became a Formula 1 driver, and what we’ve achieved with Scuderia AlphaTauri over the last years has been very special. Looking ahead, I want to give the maximum and utilize all my experience to fight for podiums and ultimately contribute to Alpine’s fight for championships in the future.”

Gasly has signed a multi-year contract at Alpine, with the team stating his past results and experience made him the perfect team-mate to Esteban Ocon.

“I’m very happy that Pierre will be joining the team for 2023 and beyond,” team principal Otmar Szafnauer said. “He is already a proven talent within Formula 1, and we are looking forward to harnessing that within the team.

“Our team has several objectives for the coming seasons and I firmly believe our driver line-up is a great reflection of the team’s high ambitions. I trust Pierre and Esteban can, together, motivate the team to continue its progress towards these goals. We would also like to thank Red Bull for agreeing the terms to allow Pierre to take this step.”

Gasly will be replaced at AlphaTauri by Nyck de Vries — full story to come.