From Pyry Salmela to Ben Thorne, the secrets of Pierre Gasly's winter preparation

After five years spent in contact with Pyry Salmela within the Red Bull fold, Pierre Gasly had to find a new accomplice by signing with Alpine. He joined forces with Mick Schumacher's former performance coach, the Briton Ben Thorne, with whom he spent part of the winter.

Published on 02/03/2023 à 08:35

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From Pyry Salmela to Ben Thorne, the secrets of Pierre Gasly's winter preparation

Pierre Gasly, ready for his first season with Alpine. © Florent Gooden / DPPI

Behind the indestructible duo Lewis Hamilton-Angela Cullen, the tandem Pierre Gasly-Pyry Salmela was perhaps the most publicized trainer-trained couple in the paddock F1. In contact with the Finn over the last six years, Pierre Gasly has clearly reached a milestone on a physical level, thanks to the working relationship and complicity that he was able to create with his former trainer.

Only here, the departure of the Frenchman towards Alpine forced him to find a new performance coach, Salmela being under contract directly with Red Bull. He now takes care of Nyck De Vries, Pierre's replacement at Alpha Tauri.

Of course, trying to include Pyry Salmela in the deal with Alpine was mentioned, but the transfer of Gasly included so many unknowns and different players at the time that it would have been dangerous to try to impose anything, at the risk of derailing everything. On the Gasly side, we also saw the opportunity to permanently change the cycle, and turn the Red Bull page for good.

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