Pierre Gasly has stated that he is “done with the questions about Red Bull” in reference to his time at the Red Bull team in the first half of 2019
Written by Andrew Lwanga, Edited by Hazel Alagappan
“I don’t feel like answering questions about it any longer.” The Frenchman said “It’s about things that happened two years ago.”
The Frenchman had a less than stellar tenure at the Red Bull Team when he was drafted from their B team AlphaTauri, known at the time as Scuderia Toro Rosso to replace the outgoing Daniel Ricciardo. He was subsequently replaced after just 12 races by then rookie Alex Albon and returned to Toro Rosso.
Now two years later Pierre Gasly has achieved 2 podiums including a race win hinting that the Frenchman has progressed from his Red Bull days.
At the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix Gasly continued his upward trajectory when he qualified fifth which was the team’s second best qualifying position in its history.
Gasly’s recent form has drawn much praise from critics and colleagues but one key figure at the Red Bull establishment seems less than impressed.
Head of Red Bull’s driver development programme, Helmut Marko who oversaw the driver swap involving Gasly and Albon back in 2019 didn’t share the complimentary sentiment that many did. When asked how he felt about the Gasly’s qualifying performance at the season opener Marko simply said Verstappen would have been two tenths faster in the same car.
The Frenchman has since responded to Marko’s comments by simply dismissing them. “For me it is very simple – I don’t care about that kind of hypothetical thing, the facts show it was one of the best qualifications in the history of the team.”
“And the conclusion that can be drawn from it is that I can be extremely fast if I have a fast car at my disposal. That’s the only conclusion that can be drawn. Period.”
Despite the seeming friction Gasly made sure to state that he plans to remain in the Red Bull family hinting he’d like to extend his stay with AlphaTauri as the team evolves into Red Bull’s sister team.
When asked if he planned to stay Gasly said, “Yes, why not? Ultimately my goal in Formula 1 is crystal clear. I want to be able to fight for victories and world titles. That’s what I’m working hard for. Why not? I don’t see the problem.”
“We are working on a project for the long term.” He added “At the moment we are not yet big enough to compete against Mercedes and Red Bull, but if we use our knowledge and the budget in the right way, why should it not be possible?”
“We see in MotoGP, for example, small private teams can beat the top teams. If the regulations promote it, that should also be possible in Formula 1.”
Despite a less than an ideal start at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Gasly has since bounced back to finish seventh in the last race in Imola at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. With much of the season still ahead and AlphaTauri seeming to have a great package Pierre Gasly will be one to watch.
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