AlphaTauri have confirmed Pierre Gasly's seat at the team for 2023 amid speculation he could depart.
The French driver is contracted with the team until the end of next season but, following Sergio Perez's two-year extension at Red Bull, questions on Gasly's fate emerged given his desire to return to the team in the future.
However, AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost has remained resolute, saying that Gasly was "100 per cent confirmed" at last weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, and the team has now issued an official statement.
"The 26-year-old Frenchman has been with us since 2017 and this continuity will be a great asset, as he enjoys an excellent working relationship with his group of engineers and everyone in the team," they said.
"Pierre is a proven race winner, with three podiums and three fastest race laps and to date, he has scored a total of 325 points in Formula 1. He has also developed a reputation as a very strong qualifier."
Gasly expressed his delight at the confirmation, stating: "I have been with this team for five years now and I am proud of the journey we’ve been through together and the progress we have made.
"I’m happy to remain with my Scuderia AlphaTauri team. This year’s new regulations have created new challenges for us and being able to plan our development with the team for the next 18 months is a good working basis for the future."
Gasly has secured 16 points for his team this season following three top-10 finishes, the highest of which came with a sixth-placed finish in Azerbaijan.
Mercedes boss Wolff slams Horner amid Verstappen-Russell row
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff hit out at Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner amid the ongoing row between four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen and George Russell.
The tension between the pair, which began during qualifying at last weekend's Qatar Grand Prix, escalated quickly after both drivers made further comments ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Reacting to the Dutch driver's comments that he had "lost all respect" for Russell for his role in demoting him from pole position, the Mercedes driver said Verstappen had threatened to crash into him on purpose.
And Mercedes boss Wolff also weighed in on the situation by criticising Horner, who called Russell "hysterical" in Qatar, for falling short of his role.
"I think as a team principal, it's important to be a sparring partner for your drivers, and that means explaining that things can be more nuanced," Wolff said.
"Statements that are absolutistic, thinking that everything is 100% right or 100% wrong, is just something you need to explain. Things are more nuanced, depending on your perception and your perspective.
"You need to allow for something to be 51-49, you need to allow it to be 70-30 - so there is always another side.
"Maybe, when you look at it that way, and you explain it to your drivers and your team, you come to the conclusion that there is truth on both sides. If you don't do that, you're falling short of your role."
Verstappen had qualified fastest in Qatar, but was later demoted to a second-placed start after a rare grid penalty for driving unnecessarily slowly and impeding Russell in qualifying, after both drivers had a hearing with the stewards.
"Why does he feel entitled to comment about my driver?" Wolff added. "How does that come? That even thinking about it, I just had 90 seconds to think about it. Yapping little terrier. Always something to say.
"There is a thing between drivers, and this is George and Max, and I don't want to get involved in that. But if the other team principal calls George 'hysterical', this is where he crosses a line for me.
"His forte, for sure, is not intellectual psychoanalysis, but that's quite a word. How dare you comment on the state of mind of my driver?!"
Russell hits back at 'bully' Verstappen as Qatar row escalates
George Russell said "someone needs to stand up a bully like this" as his ugly row with Max Verstappen from the Qatar Grand Prix escalated.
Red Bull driver Verstappen qualified fastest in Qatar but was later demoted a spot after being given a rare grid penalty for driving unnecessarily slowly and impeding Mercedes' Russell in qualifying.
Four-time world champion Verstappen later said he had "lost all respect" for the British driver, accusing Russell of essentially setting out to earn him a demotion in the stewards room.
Russell has now reacted to the explosive comments in an interview with Sky Sports ahead of the season-ending Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi and accused the Dutchman of threatening to intentionally crash into him in an X-rated retort.
"What he was doing was pretty clear. He was going too slow. He was on the racing line, and we all had the rules to follow, and he didn't follow it," Russel began.
"I find his comments pretty ironic when he comes out and says 'I'm going to purposely crash into you, I'm going to put you on your f****** head in the wall'.
"For me, that is unacceptable, and he's gone beyond the line here, and I'm not going to accept it.
"So somebody's got to stand up to a guy like this before it gets out of control."
Verstappen is reported to have denied the allegation to the Dutch media.
Russell added when asked what further steps he would want to take: "I don't want to go to the stewards' office.
"I had no intention of bringing this up. He said this to me on Saturday night and I woke up on Sunday morning feeling fine. But to come out of those press interviews saying that I'm two-faced, I'm the f-word, and this and that, he's taking this personal.
"What happens on track is professional, what happens in the stewards' is professional, and like Carlos [Sainz] said to him on Sunday morning, 'you would have done the exact same thing'.
"On Sunday in the race he lifted for a yellow, Lando [Norris, who received a penalty which took him out of the fight for the race victory] doesn't lift for a yellow, and he says to the team 'check what Lando does'.
"That's not personal against Lando, that is just racing. I've known Max for 12 years. I respected him all this time, but now I have lost respect for him. We are all fighting on track, and it's never personal," he added.
"Now he's made it personal and someone needs to stand up to a bully like this - and so far people are letting him get away with murder."
FIA stands by Lando Norris penalty at Qatar GP
The FIA is standing by its decision to penalise McLaren driver Lando Norris at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Norris was given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for failing to lift the throttle while double yellow flags were being waved.
The 25-year-old dropped from second to last among the remaining drivers, with the decision having a big impact in the Constructors' Championship battle.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described the penalty as "brutal" in an interview with Sky Sports and accused officials of lacking consistency.
Lando Norris collected what could prove to be a crucial bonus point in his and McLaren's quest for constructors' glory
Join @LandoNorris as he scoops the DHL Fastest Lap in Qatar! Full 2024 leaderboard https://t.co/sOAsD9IxzG#F1 #MomentsThatDeliver @DHL_Motorsports pic.twitter.com/k5ryP7jgCk
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 2, 2024
However, in a statement released on Monday, F1's governing body explained why the decision was the correct one.
"The penalty was in accordance with the penalty guidelines circulated to the teams on 19 February 2024," part of the statement read.
"A double yellow flag infringement is considered a serious compromise of safety, which is why such offences carry such a severe penalty."
The FIA went on to state that the specific scenario would be reviewed and a new process may be established down the line.
McLaren's lead over Ferrari has been cut to 21 points heading into the final round of the season in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
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