CLARKSON OFFERS ALPINE A UNIQUE WIN BONUS
Jeremy Clarkson has added an unexpected twist to Pierre Gasly’s extraordinary Italian Grand Prix weekend, promising to provide the entire Alpine Formula 1 team with Hawkstone beer if the Frenchman converts his stunning Monza pole position into victory.
Gasly produced one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 F1 season by beating Mercedes’ George Russell to pole by just 0.060 seconds. The result is particularly significant for Alpine, marking the team’s first Formula 1 pole in 17 years and Gasly’s first-ever pole position in his F1 career.
Clarkson, whose Diddly Squat Farm is located close to Alpine’s Enstone base, delivered the challenge on social media after Gasly’s qualifying heroics.
“Right. Pierre Gasly. No pressure but if you translate that pole into a win, the whole team gets a Hawkstone. Go Chipping Norton team,” Clarkson wrote.
GASLY HAS ALREADY WON AT MONZA
The opportunity carries an intriguing sense of déjà vu for Gasly. His only previous Formula 1 victory came at Monza in 2020, when he produced another sensational upset for AlphaTauri.
Six years later, Gasly has once again found himself at the front of the Italian Grand Prix grid, but this time with Alpine. A victory would therefore create an extraordinary chapter in his career: his first pole position and second F1 victory would both have come at the same iconic circuit.
Gasly was understandably emotional after qualifying, describing the moment as the culmination of nine years of trying to reach the front of the Formula 1 grid.
ALPINE HAVE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY
Alpine’s previous pole position came in 2009, when Fernando Alonso qualified first for the Hungarian Grand Prix while the team was still operating under the Renault name. Gasly’s result therefore represents far more than an individual achievement.
It gives Alpine a genuine opportunity to challenge the established front-runners on one of Formula 1’s most historic stages. Russell starts alongside Gasly, meaning the Frenchman faces immediate pressure from a Mercedes that has demonstrated strong pace throughout the weekend.
The biggest question now is whether Alpine has the race pace, tyre management and strategic execution required to keep Gasly ahead once the lights go out.
CLARKSON HAS DONE THIS BEFORE
Clarkson’s promise is not simply a publicity stunt. The television presenter previously made a similar gesture toward Alpine after Esteban Ocon secured a surprise podium at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix.
Clarkson followed through on that promise, with Alpine publicly thanking him after the beer delivery arrived. That history makes the Monza challenge even more entertaining for the Alpine personnel, who now have a very tangible incentive to help Gasly complete the job.
And with the team based relatively close to Clarkson’s farm in Oxfordshire, the connection between the F1 outfit and the television personality has become an amusing subplot to one of Alpine’s biggest weekends in years.
GASLY CAN CREATE ANOTHER MONZA FAIRYTALE
For Gasly, Sunday presents an opportunity that could redefine his 2026 season. A pole position is already a remarkable achievement, but winning from the front would elevate the result into one of the defining stories of the Italian Grand Prix.
“I got my first win here in Monza and now I get my first pole position, so definitely a special place to me,” Gasly said after qualifying.
The challenge is enormous, but the ingredients for another Monza shock are already in place. Gasly has the pole, Alpine has the confidence, and Clarkson has promised the beer.
Now the Frenchman simply has to survive the pressure of leading the field around Monza — and if he does, the entire Alpine team could soon be celebrating with a very large delivery from Chipping Norton.
