Helmut Marko has said that Red Bull will not stand in Pierre Gasly's way if the Frenchman wants to move to Alpine.

Though a long-time part of the Red Bull programme, the current vacancy at Alpine appears to be a golden opportunity for the Frenchman who appears unlikely to get another chance with the 'big team'.

Although seemingly 'settled' at AlphaTauri, the driver movements over the summer involving Alpine have left a vacant seat alongside Esteban Ocon.

Though Daniel Ricciardo was initially linked with the seat, it is believed that senior management within the (Renault) organisation is not in favour, and in recent weeks attention has shifted to Gasly.

"We have a valid contract for 2023, but in the meantime there are talks," Helmut Marko told Sky Germany at Zandvoort.

"If our conditions are met, we wouldn't stand in Gasly's way," he added. "It would be a dream come true for him to drive in a French factory team.

"But not all the conditions have been met yet," he warned.

Of course, Gasly's departure would mean a vacancy at AlphaTauri, and one of the names linked with the Faenza-based outfit is Colton Herta, who tested with McLaren over the summer. However, a major obstacle to such a move is that the American does not qualify for a superlicence.

"We've already thought about that, but we don't want to announce that yet," said Marko. "We have some people in the junior squad who have a superlicence. For the reserve driver, we would recruit someone from that."

"He has already done a Formula 1 test, he was good," he said of Herta. "I don't want to get into details. Let's wait and see how this develops."

Another name linked with the Faenza-based outfit is Mick Schumacher, who is rumoured to be losing his Ferrari backing at season end, but Marko was quick to pour cold water on such a move.

"He's not an issue for us," said Marko. "He is, or was, a Ferrari junior. That's why we've never dealt with Mick Schumacher. We have our own programme. Of course, we prefer our own people."

Check out our Saturday gallery from Zandvoort here.