Formula 1 drivers used to advertise beer, engine oil and thick cars. Today: for perfume.Pierre GaslyAlso loves fine food and fashion and is committed to it in terms of. That is exactly why it is part of our Next Generation portfolio. AConversationAbout the next generation racing driver.
Pierre, are you the most French Formula 1 driver you can imagine?
Haha, may be. In any case, I love the Savoir vivre, I'm interested in fashion, especially for French style. I also learn more and more about it, has now been on some fashion shows. This creative and artistic environment is a great balance to racing, a world full of pressure.
It is strange for screaming when you look at old advertisements with Formula 1 drivers today. The picture and half naked women still determined the picture. You are now the face of a new perfume by Giveenchy. Would James Hunt make perfume advertising?
Everything was possible for James Hunt, so why not? The drivers at the time were all icons. The world belonged to them. I admired her since I was a child. Sport is still the same, but then everything was improvised, racing was even more dangerous.
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Even today, bad accidents happen. They themselves lost one of their best friends, Anthine Hubert. In the past it was time to wipe your mouth, continue! They themselves have become a mental health in Formula 1. Is that also a generation question?
In the meantime it is possible to open up, including other drivers. Most of them probably turn to their families, but younger drivers in particular are also there for each other. For example, Charles Leclerc and I have an extremely good relationship, know each other forever. It is particularly interesting to talk to older drivers who ended their career. It just gushes out of them that they seem to process all their challenges to process all their trauma that they had to swallow during the active time.
Do you pull something yourself out of these conversations with the old warriors?
In any case, I'm quite close to Jean Alesi and Alain Prost. Jackie Stewart is almost every race weekend on the route. I also maintain the exchange with athletes from other disciplines. Mark Cavendish, the cycling athlete, for example, deals a lot with mental health, we have spoken a lot about how to protect your own family from attention and get along with this enormous pressure.
When they achieved their first Formula 1 victory in Monza in 2020-a Frenchman's first victory in 25 years-how do you have to imagine the pressure that fell off from them?
Enormous. He gave way to the most violent emotions of my career, maybe my life. Nobody can take me anymore!
You drive for the French Alpine team. Last season they made it to the podium in Brazil with a hopelessly inferior car. Was that just as important as the first victory back then?
We had a club -hard season. The podium places were actually extremely important for the entire team like a blood transfusion for the entire team.
How do you go into the new season?
With huge anticipation. I am physically fit than ever. We worked on the team. And with the rules of the rule, the work could be worthwhile for small teams.
