More to life than F1 as Gasly balances driving with padel and MotoGP ambitions

MADRID, Feb 1 : There is more to life than Formula One, said Alpine driver Pierre Gasly as he spent his Saturday in Madrid watching his padel team, Ten Padel, compete in the Hexagon Cup, one of the sport's premier tournaments. 

The 29-year-old has ventured into the business world by making big investments in padel and motorcycle racing.

The Frenchman joins a growing trend of professional athletes broadening their horizons beyond their primary careers, a shift in thinking Gasly credits to increased financial awareness and strong advisory teams around modern athletes.

"I've always been a curious person," Gasly told Reuters.

"Formula One opens many opportunities. While I wake up thinking about F1 and fall asleep thinking about it, there's more to life. I want to discover other things and mix them with my passions," he added.

The Hexagon Cup, in its third edition, has transformed Madrid into the global epicentre of padel this weekend, showcasing the sport's - a hybrid of tennis and squash - rise.

The team-based tournament played across men's, women's, and Under-21 categories with a $1 million prize for the winners, has become a standout event, attracting more than 30,000 fans.

It also features involvement from celebrity owners like former tennis players Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray, Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, actor Eva Longoria and Gasly himself.

"These celebrity owners are a gateway to bring attention to padel and what will become the Hexagon World Series," Gary Davidson, director of operations for organisers 54, told Reuters. 

"Padel has been a niche sport in Central and South America, as well as Spain, but figures like Pierre (Gasly) and others help grow the game's fan base globally."

Gasly's commitment to padel stems