If you’ve been keeping up with Netflix’s “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” series, you probably saw a young Pierre Gasly debut as a rookie during the 2018 season. Since then, he has achieved a race win and five podiums. In 2024, he helped Alpine achieve sixth place at the World Constructors’ Champions and made history as the only driver to avoid car damage during a season. Not only did he save his team money, his driving skills were put on full display.
Gasly’s passion for motorsport started with his family. “My grandma was a go-kart champion, and she was beating guys on the track. We are talking in the ’60s,” Gasly says. He also grew up going to racetracks often to watch his stepbrothers race in karting. “Quite early on, I had that desire to be in the seat and feel what that speed is like,” he says. Once he started at six years old, the rest was history.
“Quite early on, I had that desire to be in the seat and feel what that speed is like.”
Gasly likes to prep for his races with a warmup, including a reaction test, which is an exercise that helps him get in the right mindset. “I always do a prayer on the grid before the race,” he says. He also has chicken with rice and greens to maintain a certain weight for the car’s calibration. “On race day I’ll lose up to two kilos, so I cannot afford to have a nice meal,” Gasly says. But that’s why, as a foodie, he treats himself to sushi and ice cream post-race.
Being an F1 driver isn’t all glitz, glam, and thrills. “If you want to be at the top of your industry, whether it’s in sport or business, you’ve got to put in the effort and the work and make the sacrifices to get there,” he says. Gasly notes that people often underestimate the work and energy that goes into race day. “The work we do with our guys — the nutrition, the recovery, the mental prep, and the physical prep — all of this helps us be the best we can be at the racetrack.”
Because of the intense travel schedule and the physical and mental stressors of F1, Gasly practices self-care by prioritizing his personal life. “When you’re an F1 driver, it’s like 95 percent of your life is around Formula 1, and you have a very limited amount of free time. But to me, it’s critical to get this time over the summer when I just don’t want to hear about work at all. I want to see my family and friends and recharge mentally and socially,” he says.
Gasly also spends time with his girlfriend Francisca “Kika” Gomes, who has influenced him to step up his skin-care and hair-care game. “You end up having all sorts of products on your face and your hair that you had no idea about, but then you just end up loving it,” he says, noting that he happily takes her recommendations because she “seems like a pro in this subject.”
Beyond becoming a budding beauty enthusiast, Gasly shares some of his other must-have products, including the Oura ring, his favorite Apple device, and his travel essentials.