In recent years, we can make a strong claim that Pierre Guthrie is the king of Formula 1’s midfield. His main rival for that unwanted admiration is Williams’ driver Alex Albon. Given Alpine’s light-making, the current lock bottom of the constructor’s championship, and given that the team is closely linked to uncertainty and indecisive thanks to revolving door leadership, Guthrie’s recent decision to sign a new contract to remain on a Renault-owned team until the end of 2028 is odd.
Alpine has a better end to this deal. Frogging over the choice of a second driver means that both Jacques Doohan and Franco Cora Pinto are in a state of self-induced confusion about who should be put with him, limiting the likelihood of producing the best work. This will ensure Guthrie is in the long term.
But you have to ask: What’s in for Guthrie considering he had already signed a contract in 2026? After all, he will offer guaranteed performance in that area of the grid and will be interested in his rivals if he is available. The established move to the top team is a vessel that appears to have sailed forever when it was abandoned to the Red Bull race after just 12 races in 2019, but there is always an outside chance that the unexpected driver market shenanigan could lead to Guthrie’s second fit. Even if not, Guthrie is in demand for a more compellingly upward-looking mobile outfit for 2027 or ’28, and a position to play the market for his profits.
Guthrie, who has become one of the more outspoken and honest drivers in recent years, has never honed this move with bland admiration. He speaks of the value of “being clear to some extent and showing my commitment,” and while he is positive about the team’s future, he admits he has not inked the new alpine deal.
“Of course I did, that’s just,” he said when asked if he wanted to see another place in Monza. “Looking at the performance at the beginning of the year, it’s not easy. There are a few ideas behind it, but honestly, I think this is a very powerful option.
There is a reason to expect improvements next year. Alpine abandons the switch’s own engine to Mercedes’ customer power units in a move that reduces the team’s ultimate performance potential, but can give them a shortcut to climb the grid. In the worst case scenario, it should eliminate current disadvantages in terms of peak power and energy recovery efficiency that have made the car the worst on Monza and other power-sensitive truck grids. At best, if the Mercedes PU is as strong as everyone would expect, it could have an advantage over the many teams behind Alpine right now.
That being said, it would be ridiculous to suggest that a work that was given a struggle could fight against the McLaren, not to mention fellow Mercedes customer Williams. Remember that this is the same team that won the World Championships at Michael Schumacher in the 1990s and Fernando Alonso in the 2000s.
Since joining the team in 2023, Guthrie has been inhaling and breathing in Alpine F1, so he knows exactly what’s going on inside. Flavio Bliatere, who returned as a de facto team boss last year, has not been convinced until now, but there are only new rules in 2026 that allow for clear judgment of the long-term trajectory. Under technical director David Sanchez, the team could jump over the grid. If so – if it’s a big case – Guthrie is justified. That’s a reasonable place for him.
Guthrie delivered his best results of his — and Alpine season in sixth place with the flooded Silverstone. Alex Vierrez de Hahn/Getty Images
That said, Guthrie is not a fool. The exact details of his contract are unknown, but given that Alpine needs to build a proven driver, it could be that there is a clause that allows him to depart for a big-team offer, or if Alpine doesn’t make the promised progress again. To be the focus of F1 teams in the cost-cap era, if it is realistic to expect a team that once trapped in the midfield emerged as the forces that won the race, if there is a lack of flexibility to leave. Gasly knows that it is a possibility, especially given recent records that are unconvincing.
Guthrie is also practical. He will be on February 30th next year and he has plenty of F1 miles left, which will maximize his revenue potential. While most F1 driver pay reports should be treated with suspicion, he must have given him more, with this new deal and Alpine giving him more, he was already well paid by midfield standards. It’s unfair to blame Guthrie for wanting to guarantee future pay, or suggesting that he has more mercenary goals than sport goals, but it’s important to be realistic. Famously, Briarthor was not initially convinced by Guthrie, and he began to recognize the value he brings to his team. Doohan and Corapinto failed to score this year, but Guthrie scored 20 points from four top-10 finishes. That’s worth every penny for a team that thinks it’s impossible to attract drivers of comparable quality. That says a lot about Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez committing to Cadillac.
Because of all his qualities, Guthrie is not desperate to put himself in the position of becoming a world champion on any route he or she is. At his best, he is able to produce a great race weekend, and what he is doing for Alpine along with the top drivers on the grid is similar to how Max Verstappen recently carried Red Bull. While hiding in Nico Halkenberg’s podium finish, his performances over the entire three days at Silverstone were outstanding, taking Alpine’s best finish of the year, sixth place. There have been weekends that were difficult to catch your eye no matter how well he drives. Occasionally, Guthrie struggled as he chased the setup streets that ultimately didn’t bring about magical performance improvements on a competitive weekend, but he hasn’t wasted the opportunity to win results.
What’s particularly impressive about Guthrie over the years is how he has consistently improved. It’s important to note that there are very few really great drivers, so that’s not a terrible criticism. And only 34 people won the World Championships in ’75, but he lacks his weaknesses. In his second full season in Formula 1 alone, during Red Bull’s stints, he often followed corner-to-corner perfection rather than being able to choose the best global compromise. It’s something that people who have worked with him have emphasized as an area of improvement, and the long, detailed report that was pruned has been pruned thanks to Gasly’s benefits in that they can look at Gasly’s big picture and take a targeted approach to important changes. He has a strong work ethic and is willing to study data infinitely. This is now augmented by efficiency and clarity.
He also refined his skills to make the most of the dynamics of a wide range of cars. Essentially, he likes to be committed on the brakes and is a driver who likes responsive cars when turned in. When current regulations were introduced in 2022, he had to work to adapt to cars that were less responsive to the late braking approach, broadly speaking, as they tended to slowly head towards understeer on the runners. That year, his final season was what he called the Racing Bulls when front-end restrictions thwarted him, but he’s working hard to tackle it. This allowed him to become a more adaptable driver and to do his best more often. He also has experience coupled with Red Bull’s junior team and rebuilt confidence.
If Guthrie can be his best or near him every weekend, he will be in the top caliber of drivers you point to as a potential world champion. However, adaptability and consistency in delivery are two important traits of a good driver, and he lacks it with a small margin, but it’s important if you’re distinguishing between a great F1 driver and a very good driver. Nevertheless, he has the skill set to get you results. He concluded his chance to win a race at Monza in 2020. He can get breathtakingly fast when he’s at his best and fully confident on the qualifying lap.
Guthrie is a better driver than the Alpine deserves. The downside means that if Alpine continues on its recent orbit, its weaknesses will continue to be cruelly exposed. The advantage of Guthrie is that he is betting on a well-established team by putting him in position to ultimately make sustained progress and win the race. It may seem like a long shot right now, but if it appears, it will pay a lot.
