BEIJING, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Pierre Gasly has signed a contract extension with Alpine through the 2028 Formula 1 season, the French team announced Friday.

Gasly, 29, joined Alpine in 2023, and the Frenchman has since scored two podium finishes for the Renault-owned outfit.

The deal marks a show of confidence from executive director Flavio Briatore, who was not at Alpine when Gasly joined.

"Since I returned to the team, I have always stated how important it is to build and grow the competitiveness of the Alpine F1 team," Briatore said.

"We're well prepared for the new era of F1 beginning in 2026, and now we have our lead driver confirmed to bring us well into the future. Pierre has been an immense asset and we look forward to continuing this project together for a long time."

Alpine has struggled in 2025, sitting bottom of the Constructors' Championship with Gasly having scored all the team's 20 points.

However, hopes are high at Alpine that 2026 will bring about an improvement in performance, with the team ditching Renault power units in favor of Mercedes, and Gasly said staying on was an easy decision.

"I'm thrilled to commit my long-term future to Alpine," he said. "As a Frenchman, especially, driving for a French car company makes me feel very proud. Since I joined in 2023, I have always felt that this team is the right place to be for the future."

Gasly previously raced for Red Bull's junior team, then called AlphaTauri, where he claimed his only win at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix.

Alpine has yet to decide on Gasly's teammate for 2026. Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto has filled the second seat since the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May, replacing Jack Doohan, who was demoted to a reserve role after the first six races of 2025.

Neither Doohan nor Colapinto have scored points so far this year, and while Alpine may have hoped to recruit a more experienced driver, its options narrowed after Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez signed to race for the new Cadillac entry in 2026. ■