Pierre Gasly will race for Alpine in 2023 following confirmation he will depart Scuderia AlphaTauri at the end of the current Formula 1 season.

Gasly has been released from the Red Bull junior team, clearing the pathway for him to fill the vacancy alongside Esteban Ocon.

It’s understood the deal was signed a week ago, with the announcement delayed to coincide with the Japanese Grand Prix – the home race for Red Bull’s unofficial engine partner, Honda.

The move was widely expected after the dust had settled following the departure of both Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri from the Enstone-based operation.

Alonso will move to Aston Martin for 2023, while Piastri will replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren.

Ricciardo was an early contender for the Alpine drive before Gasly quickly emerged as the favourite.

However, the Frenchman’s ability to switch camps was contingent on Red Bull’s willingness to release him from his contract, which ran until the end of next season.

That in turn hung on the squad’s ability to secure a suitable replacement, with hopes initially set on Colton Herta before Nyck de Vries made himself unignorable following the Italian Grand Prix.

The Dutchman will join Scuderia AlphaTauri in place of Gasly, who in turn has signed a ‘multi-year’ deal with Alpine.

“I am delighted to join the Alpine family and begin this new chapter in my Formula 1 career,” said Gasly.

“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 utilise all my experience to fight for podiums and ultimately contribute to Alpine’s fight for championships in the future.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Alpine Team Principal, added: “I’m very happy that Pierre will be joining the team for 2023 and beyond.

“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.”

The partnership of Gasly and Ocon marks the first all-French Formula 1 driver pairing since 1994 (Christophe Bouchut and Eric Bernard were listed for Larrousse in 1995 but never competed).

It leaves just Haas and Williams with vacancies for the 2023 campaign.

2023 F1 driver contracts