MONZA: Pierre Gasly has signed a contract extension with Alpine until the end of the 2028 Formula One season, the French team announced on Saturday.
The 29-year-old joined the Renault-owned outfit for the 2023 season and has achieved two podiums for them.
“I’m thrilled to commit my long-term future to Alpine,” said Gasly.
“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 joined Alpine from Red Bull’s second team, then called AlphaTauri, who he won the Italian Grand Prix with in 2020.
While he is assured of a place on the grid next year, his teammate Franco Colapinto is not.
The Argentinian, who arrived in January as a reserve driver after competing for Williams in 2024, took over last May from Australian Jack Doohan, who was sidelined due to poor results.
But after eight races for Alpine, Colapinto has yet to score a single point.
Alpine are currently tenth and last in the constructors’ standings after 15 of the season’s 24 Grand Prix.
The team have struggled since finishing fourth in the championship in 2022.
On the management side, Steve Nielsen, appointed Alpine F1 CEO in July, took up his new role this weekend ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.
The British engineer will report to the brand’s executive adviser Flavio Briatore.
France’s Gasly extends Alpine contract until 2028
https://arab.news/2w4gn
France’s Gasly extends Alpine contract until 2028
- Pierre Gasly has signed a contract extension with Alpine until the end of the 2028 Formula One season, the French team announced on Saturday
Inter continue Scudetto march after Champions League humbling
- Milan will be favorites to win at Cremonese in Sunday’s early fixture, with the local rivals set to face off next weekend in a match which will in all likelihood have little impact on the destination of the Scudetto
MILAN, Italy: Inter Milan bounced back from Champions League elimination with Saturday’s 2-0 win over Genoa which continued their march toward the Serie A title.
Federico Dimarco’s brilliant volley just after the half-hour mark and Hakan Calhanoglu’s second-half penalty were enough for Inter to extend their already huge lead over AC Milan at the top of the table to 13 points.
Milan will be favorites to win at Cremonese in Sunday’s early fixture, with the local rivals set to face off next weekend in a match which will in all likelihood have little impact on the destination of the Scudetto.
Inter, whose fans unloaded a collection of anti-Milan chants in anticipation of the derby, have dropped just two points in 15 league matches and have been a cut above the rest in Italy’s top flight this season.
Their domestic dominance comes in stark contrast to the humiliating manner in which they were dumped out of the Champions League by Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday night.
A 5-2 aggregate defeat to the Norwegian minnows cast doubts over not just the quality of Cristian Chivu’s team but of Italian football as a whole.
There was plenty of quality in Dimarco’s opener however, the Italy full-back beautifully placing a first-time finish from a tight angle after exchanging passes with Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Little else happened in a humdrum encounter until Alex Amorim handled a cross from Luis Henrique, whose shot had been tipped onto the post just moments before.
Calhanoglu calmly stroked home the spot-kick on his return to action following niggling muscle problems which have caused him issues since before Christmas, sealing the points for Inter.
Big Rom back
Romelu Lukaku kept Napoli on course for a Champions League spot with a last-gasp winner in the champions’ 2-1 victory over rock-bottom Verona, the Belgium forward’s first goal of the season.
Lukaku forced home Giovane’s cross to snatch the win for third-placed Napoli with the last kick of the game at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
Napoli had looked like dropping points in northern Italy when Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro levelled Rasmus Hojlund’s early opener in the 65th minute.
But Lukaku, who only played his first game of the season in late January, gave Napoli a huge win with both Como and Atalanta pushing for a top-four placing.
“I was a dead player before coming here,” said Lukaku to DAZN.
“This season has been difficult, but we’ve got to aim high.”
Napoli’s title defense is all but over as they trail Inter by 14 points after an injury-ravaged season.
Napoli were missing key midfielders Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Anguissa on Saturday, as well as captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
Verona, under interim coach Paolo Sammarco following the sacking of Paolo Zanetti earlier this month, are 10 points from safety after a 12th straight match without a win.
Como, who face Inter in the first leg of the Italian Cup semifinals on Tuesday, strolled to 3-1 victory over strugglers Lecce to continue their push for a first-ever qualification for European football.
Cesc Fabregas’s team are two points behind Roma, in fourth and Juventus’ opponents on Sunday, and five behind Napoli.
Como are also two points ahead of sixth-placed Juve who face Roma trying to stay in touch with the Champions League places after being eliminated from Europe’s elite club competition by Galatasaray on Wednesday.
