When Formula 1 released its first sport-wide Social Impact Report, the numbers were staggering: over 500,000 young people across 71 countries benefited from the sport's charitable programmes in 2025, with more than 50 individual wishes brought to life for critically ill children. Behind those statistics are real moments, and for Alpine driver and Make-a-Wish France Ambassador Pierre Gasly, one particular encounter at the Enstone factory in the UK left an indelible mark.
Gasly was hosting a 17-year-old boy living with a critical illness, giving him a tour of the facility in an Alpine A110 road car. What followed caught the driver completely off guard. As they crossed paths with various vehicles on the road, his young guest reeled off the year, engine, and horsepower for every single model in sight. Gasly recalls feeling mind-blown by the encounter, noting that the teenager's car knowledge was insane and his positivity radiated a very bright personality. Tragically, just two months after that visit at Enstone, Gasly's guest passed away from his illness.
That loss brought the weight of the Make-A-Wish Foundation's mission into sharp focus, mirroring the very origins of the charity itself. Back in 1979, a seven-year-old Scottsdale, Arizona boy named Chris Greicius was diagnosed with leukaemia. His community rallied to grant his dream of being a police officer for a day, complete with a police helicopter tour of Phoenix and an official swearing-in as Arizona's first honorary Department of Public Safety member. Like Gasly's visitor at Enstone, Chris passed away a short time later from his cancer, and the foundation was born from that singular, powerful experience.
For Gasly, stepping into this role was a conscious choice. After focusing solely on beating teammates and building his racing reputation during his early seasons in Formula 1, he soon realized he wanted to use his platform to make a genuine difference. Teaming up with Make-a-Wish felt like a natural fit. Explaining his motivation to give back, Gasly notes that the human fulfilment of positively impacting even a single life makes the effort deeply special, regardless of whether you reach millions.
His activities have spanned everything from auctioning helmets to meeting children directly at the track, with the driver emphasizing that the exchange flows both ways. Asked if he struggles to contain his emotions when meeting these kids right before jumping into a racing car, Gasly admits he is quite emotional and that facing reality is undeniably tough. Yet he views those moments as vital perspective-shapers, forcing a profound appreciation for the lives drivers lead when compared to children who already know they will not have the same amount of time.
Beyond his own involvement through auction items and trackside visits, Gasly is eager to remind fans that anyone can contribute to the cause. He stresses that no donation is too small, noting that collective contributions of two, five, or ten euros genuinely change the lives of hundreds of kids. Having witnessed firsthand the profound benefits of granting a dream moment, the Alpine driver insists that seeing the impact live makes every effort entirely worth it.
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