Title from: I Believe by the Jonas Brothers

July 2023

Pierre Gasly's settling into his new life - all aspects of it

I first met Pierre Gasly in January 2022, before the kick off of the previous formula one season. It was one which was filled of whispers about Gasly's future at team Alpha Tauri and whether he would leave the team given his recent turbulent history with the bosses. Pierre struggled throughout the season to gain points consistently, frequently put on the wrong side of strategies, penalties and plain old luck. Then, in October of last year, confirmation came. Pierre Gasly was leaving the Red Bull Racing family, and like many leaving the Red Bull brood before him, going to the French team Alpine.

Arriving at the door of Pierre's house feels like a sort of full circle moment. The same as the first time I met him, Pierre opens the door with a smile which is immediately warming. He's dressed in a slightly oversized khaki and cream shirt and matching shorts. An apt choice give the warm summer temperatures of Paris.

"It's great to see you again!" Pierre welcomes me enthusiastically, ushering me through the hallway and directing me to the garden after asking if I want a drink. We set up camp for the interview - drinks in hand - in the luxe garden of the home. The new home of Pierre was purchased for just over €2 million last December and sits close to the centre of Le Vesinet, a wealthy suburb, thirty minutes from the centre of Paris. It's a new location for Pierre who until December 2022 found himself calling Milan in Northern Italy home. It's a sought after location with homes being snapped up within hours of being out on the market in previous months. For Pierre, the change made sense.

"It's the perfect location for work, I think I have a lot better balance in life now. Plus it was the sign of a fresh start." Pierre explains as I ask him about his new location. It's clear he's more comfortable here, despite us only being sat together for around 15 minutes he looks more at home than he ever did back during in our conversation back in Milan. "My family is here and...every one else is here - in France. I want to spend as much time with those people as possible." The change in Pierre's home situation is almost immediately noticeable.

Compared to the perfectly interior designed presentation of his Milan apartment, this house is markedly more homely. Blankets and pillows cover furnishings, even more personal photos line the walls and there's a few stray pieces of clutter making the place look more lived in and loved than his previous home did. The only reminder that Pierre has, until two days ago, spent most of his time this year racing around the world are the two large suitcases sat by the front door (I was asked to excuse them). The racing memorabilia which lined most surfaces of his previous home is still there also. Of course, most importantly, the Monza first place trophy is sat prominently on a counter in the middle of the living room.

The last time I saw it Pierre was insistent he was having the silver trophy 'shipped off to a friend'. Insisting that the trophy belonged in his home town of Rouen, and not with him in Milan. I find it intriguing that the statuette is here now in Paris and not in Rouen. When I point this out I get a bashful smile. "It's where it needs to be." Is all Gasly reveals for now. It's cryptic but I find out why not a moment too soon.

Since my last meeting with a (some would say) heartbroken Pierre, he seems much lighter and happier, some could even say in love. The past 'messed up' relationship appears to have been mended. Something made clear when on New Year's Eve, Gasly posted a picture of himself and girlfriend slash childhood friend Ellie Ricci kissing as the clocks struck midnight on his favourite social media platform Instagram. The pair have been sighted together numerous times throughout the year since. Ellie even attended the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December 2022 and multiple so far this season. She stays out the way of press and photos, always arriving to the track separate to Pierre and keeping her distance from reporters. As soon as our conversation turns in the direction the woman of Pierre Gasly's life appears.

Ellie Ricci is a beam of light that stands out even against the summer sun. Her long dark hair and small frame means that Pierre looks huge in comparison, something that I'm not sure is uncommon for her to do. Despite looking a little startled at my initial presence she is warm, welcoming and incredibly inviting. She is also deeply concerned that she's interrupted something incredibly important for Pierre having just arrived home from a work meeting. Once we've assured her she hasn't (and after a little persuading from Pierre) she sits herself down beside him still looking a little uncertain. He comfortably loops his arm around her shoulder in an encouraging way.

"Ell prefers to be out of sight but I don't mind that." Gasly says, explaining Ricci's reluctance to sit with us. He plants a kiss on her cheek and Ellie rolls her eyes at the action. The statement doesn't surprise me much. I explain that anything she says won't be printed without her prior consent, something which seems to relax her a little as she settles into her partners side.

"I just don't want to damage his only root to normality since he's such a global icon now." She jokes giving Pierre a side eye and a smirk. I find myself laughing lightly at their humour, they really are well matched. "No but, I'm actually just so nervous I'm going to say or do the wrong thing to someone and ruin this whole thing for him." She explains. It's an understandable concern. Most of those in the spotlight in recent times have PR briefings, publicity training or at least staff from management who will jump in if an answer to a question begins to go west. Ellie who has a very 'normal' job now based in the suburbs of Paris has none of that.

I ask the pair of them if the jump from, what I assume was, friendship to a relationship was hard, to which they simply look at eachother eyebrows raised. "Getting here was rough for sure, there were so many miscommunications." Pierre snorts quietly at Ellie's words, his eyes looking to her softly. The two appear to be the most in love people I've ever seen, not in a sickening way but in the way that you can tell they care about each other deeply, it's more than just romanticism linking them. "Our relationship hasn't been fully friendship for years, the lines have always blurred a little." Pierre admits, barely taking his eyes off Ellie as he speaks.

"Even if I tried to convince myself there wasn't anything there, I think we both knew deep down there was." Ellie interjects with a shake of her head, as if she can't believe it now. I suppose that would be the benefit of hindsight.

"And not in a way that's disrespectful to anyone else that's been in our lives but it has been so complicated getting here." Pierre is quick to assure me (and Ellie) that at no point anybody else has been hurt for their romance. I know for certain there is far more to the story than I'm being told but I'm not sure I want to know it all. The exact details should be theirs and not the worlds. However, it was entertaining to see Pierre's media training jump in for perhaps the first time since our meeting eighteen months ago.

"With moving - and Ellie moving from Rouen with me - it's made it so much easier but almost so much harder. I don't want to be away [for races] anymore." Pierre says honestly with a shrug and a slight shake of his head, as though he can't quite believe it. It's not something many drivers would be willing to admit so quickly I'm sure. Travelling is always painted as the more glamorous side of the job but few consider the effect it has mentally, physically and emotionally. So many relationships have crumbled under the pressure of time zones, and drivers physical and mental health can quickly suffer when not taken care of properly on the hectic schedules. "I spoke a lot with the other drivers with partners and families and that helped a lot." Pierre explains.

Around a quarter of the Formula One grid currently have young families, and 75% long term partners. Ellie shares that the biggest help (for them) has been organising trips for her to join throughout the season, especially on double or triple headers, which for this season is most weeks. It's described by Ricci as a 'balancing act', but one that is no doubt worth the effort given the happiness clear on both of their expressions.

Ellie stays around for another 5 minutes or so making light conversation before making her excuses and leaving for dinner with her Mother and best friend.

It was our last interview which prompted a worldwide media quibble over who had Gasly so hurt. "That was crazy wasn't it?" Pierre asks and I agree. I certainly didn't think people would care as much as they did, people have cared less about more cryptic things I've written in the past. The Frenchman before me seems to agree. The press, fans and even general internet sleuths were trying their best to figure out the identity of the mysterious woman in Pierre's life.

They did this by questioning every female he'd had contact with, stalking their social media accounts, taking pictures when they were out living their lives and even (sometimes oddly) approaching the women in public to ask. Nobody was safe, even Ellie's best friend and Pierre's cousins wife Jasmine Saha (now Gasly) was targeted. I suppose that's the Pierre-effect though. Fans of the sport love him to an almost obsessive level.

"People were following [Ellie] in the street and trying to create fake accounts of our friends to try and see her social media. I didn't like that people did that - for a while I didn't even know they did." Pierre adds, and for the first time since knowing him I see him frown. This is clearly a point of contention. "If a social media account is private it's off limit to those that don't know you." There is no way to mess up his words. "You know probably as much as anyone else, I play around a lot. But I don't play about my family, my friends and most of all Ellie. She doesn't like it, and I don't like it."

Pierre doesn't seem to mind being approached so much himself. Fans frequently approach the superstar and, of course depending on the driver's plans for the day, he seems more than happy to oblige. "The difference is that I kind of asked for this. Nobody else in my life did." The take seems fair and beyond logical. It's an attitude which I know many people in the limelight are starting to adopt, asking for more privacy particularly for those in their private lives.

The first half of the season has went well for Pierre. Settling into a new team is always hard. Different ways of working, different styles of cars and new relationships to be built (including one with a new teammate with who friction has existed with in the past). However his performance so far has been nothing but stellar. The team remains just out of main rival McLaren's grasp in the constructors championship. As the halfway summer break point of the season arrives Pierre sits comfortably towards the top of the table in the drivers championship, comfortably 6th in the standings. Sadly, there have been no podium finishes as of yet but it's progressive which Gasly is sure is coming.

"My favourite is still coming up." Pierre says, no doubt referring to Monza. It's a place he always talks about with such fondness, it being so close to where he called home for so long and of course, being the location of his first F1 win. I only hope that a few more trophies and a lot more happiness lies in Pierre's future too.

All facts correct at the time of writing. However, Pierre Gasly and Ellie Ricci announced their engagement via Instagram on the 7th of August following a year of dating.

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HELLO

I can't thank you guys enough for reading about Ellie and Pierre. I've had so much fun putting this all together and the fact that anybody read nevermind so many of you did means so much!

If you haven't already please check out my other works!
Amber & Honey is of course the stand out (hehe) and Lilly and Leclerc is starting so soon (literally this weekend!)!

Once again, thank you so much!
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