IndyCar driver Herta the key to Gasly’s move to Alpine

Alpine have a vacancy in the F1 2023 driver line-up after Fernando Alonso announced he would move to Aston Martin. Oscar Piastri will join McLaren, rather than Alpine who is currently aligned with, to replace Daniel Ricciardo.

Gasly, currently with AlphaTauri, has emerged as Alpine’s first-choice to pair with Esteban Ocon in an all-French line-up for a French team.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was asked on Sky if he would only allow their sister team AlphaTauri to let Gasly go if they were able to bring in Herta as a replacement.

“That’s the key element,” he said. 

“We aren’t going to replace Pierre unless we have something exciting to put in that car.”

Horner said about Gasly: “He is a Red Bull Racing driver on loan to AlphaTauri. There are a lot of moving plates at the moment which we follow with interest.

“We’ll see how it pans out.”

Gasly is contracted to AlphaTauri beyond 2022 so Alpine would need to negotiate him out of the remainder of his deal.

But Herta is an intriguing proposition who has interested several F1 teams.

The 22-year-old American is currently driving for Andretti Autosport in IndyCar.

However, Herta does not yet qualify for the superlicence required to take a seat in F1.

Whether that rule can be negotiated now seems like the key factor between Gasly and Alpine in the F1 2023 season.

"We looked at the regulations, we discussed it with the FIA, and because of COVID there's a special regulation that you can take three years [from four] and also if one result isn't maximum points and outside the driver's [hands] they can give they can give the points," Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko told SpeedCity Broadcasting on SiriusXM.

"So it's nothing unreasonable. He won seven IndyCar races and that's comparable to a grand prix I think, so it would be a shame if he wouldn't get a super-licence."

Asked if Herta will get the AlphaTauri seat if he is granted a superlicence, he replied: "Astonishingly enough, all of the parties and teams involved, we found an agreement."

"If the deal works then it happens in Monza, also for Pierre of course."