Pierre Gasly has defended himself against criticism following a controversial Instagram post from his Christmas skiing holiday, insisting he never intended any disrespect towards Michael Schumacher.
The Alpine driver addressed the backlash whilst speaking to journalists at the team's A526 launch in Barcelona on 23 January.
"I'm a big fan of Michael," Gasly stated.
"I've always shown respect to him. I think I've always shared the fact that he was one of my idols growing up."
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The Frenchman dismissed suggestions his post was inappropriate, attributing the negative reaction to modern social media culture.
The photograph that sparked the controversy showed Gasly wearing a red Marlboro ski suit, strikingly similar to one famously worn by the seven-time world champion.
Adding to the sensitivity, the image was posted on Schumacher's birthday, prompting some fans to label the timing as tasteless.
Pierre Gasly has defended himself against criticism following a controversial Instagram post from his Christmas skiing holiday, insisting he never intended any disrespect towards Michael Schumacher
|GETTY
Schumacher, who suffered a severe brain injury in a skiing accident in December 2013, has remained out of public view since, with his family maintaining strict privacy around his condition.
Gasly shared the post during his two-week Christmas break, which he split between time with his family and a separate week with friends.
Speaking at the Barcelona event, Gasly elaborated on the significance of his time away from the paddock.
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"I had two weeks. I had one week with my family over Christmas, one week with my friends, which is much needed in my life, just to go away from the environment that we are in usually and just go back to a more traditional life with your friends," he explained.
"I really enjoy this part of things. It was good."
Addressing the criticism directly, he added: "Yes. I think it's unfortunately the life we live in.
"I think I always show I'm someone very respectful.
"I had a couple of idols in my life. Michael was and is one of them.
"So in not a single second I meant anything [bad] by that."
Pierre Gasly is looking forward to the new F1 season
|GETTY
Alpine revealed the livery for their 2026 challenger at the Barcelona event, with private testing scheduled for the following week.
The team will then participate in pre-season testing across two separate periods, running from 11-13 February and again from 18-20 February.
Gasly and his teammates will have their first competitive outing when the new campaign gets underway at the Australian Grand Prix, taking place from 6-8 March.
The Frenchman also spoke about his love of skiing, noting he has enjoyed the sport since childhood and finds it helps clear his mind away from the pressures of Formula 1.