Among the drivers in the current grid, Pierre Gasly had the most puzzling future. In 2019, he underperformed at Red Bull and was replaced midseason by Alex Albon, but after his demotion to Toro Rosso (currently known as AlphaTauri), he shined on the sister team.

Not only did he secure a second-place finish in the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix, but he had an emotional first win at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, and scored his most recent podium with a third place at the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

His resurgence at AlphaTauri has proven his worth as an F1 driver, but the driver situation at Red Bull is somewhat complicated with Max Verstappen being the team’s superstar.

The question is: Who’s capable of running as his teammate? Unlike Gasly, Albon was given a full season, but although a good driver on his own, the Thai couldn’t handle the pressure of being Verstappen’s teammate.

In spite of having a driver academy with multiple upcoming junior drivers, the energy drink team chose Sergio Perez for 2021, who currently has a contract lasting until 2024, closing the door for Gasly’s return to Red Bull. So people wondered where Pierre would go now.

Up until recently, there were different rumors and theories circulating about his future. Could he replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes when the seven-time world champion retires? What if French team Alpine picks up the Frenchman to team him up with countryman and childhood rival Esteban Ocon?

Well, all the rumors have now been quelled as AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost has confirmed that Gasly has a contract and will be driving for the team in 2023. Although we can’t tell if this is the right move or not, we’re still glad that Gasly is here to stay in Formula 1. Let’s just hope he is given a competitive car to fight for podiums.