Following his relegation to Toro Rosso from Red Bull midway through the 2019 Formula 1 season, Pierre Gasly regained his confidence by playing a leading role in the Faenza-based team. However, while hoping to do enough for a second chance at the Milton Keynes outfit , the Austrians signed Sergio Pérez in 2021 as Alex Albon ‘s successor to partner Max Verstappen.
In addition, last May, Red Bull chose to renew the Mexican until the end of 2024 to continue the solid duo formed with the current world champion. That means the door back to the ‘big team’ is closed for the Frenchman, who can now have his future under his own control, with no obligations to the energy drink structure beyond 2023.
“I think you have to be open,” Gasly said that it’s too early to ponder a possible team move. “There has to be a conversation, obviously with Red Bull, and they will be the first to know what the situation is.”
“But of course it’s also the first time in my career that I really have a chance to decide what’s going to happen,” the Frenchman told Motorsport.com. “It is still early days, we are still in the middle of 2022, and at the right time, we will assess what are the best options for the future.”
Sitting as a midfielder with AlphaTauri alongside his inexperienced Japanese teammate Yuki Tsunoda, Gasly’s points last season – 110 out of 142 total for the Italian outfit – were instrumental in securing sixth place in the constructors’ championship after from a long fight with Alpine for fifth place.
The Frenchman believes that he has assumed his role as leader in the team well, and that his second stage in AlphaTauri, formerly known as Toro Rosso, has made him a versatile driver, which would allow him to jump in quality on the grid when he finishes his current contract at the end of 2023.
“Yes, I am much more complete,” he said. “I think it’s a sport in which, personally, I feel much more prepared than when I arrived, because it’s a complex world.”
“It’s not just about driving, it’s about taking the team in the direction you want, getting people working towards the same goal, motivating everyone, because it’s tough,” Gasly explained. “You see they are mentally drained after a couple of races from the travel, from all the work they do.
“Being a leader is not only driving and being fast on the track, you must lead the team and bring that energy, mentality and work ethic that you have imposed on other people to extract the best possible, that is what I’m trying to do,” the 26-year-old continued.
“In the end, the difference is that I want to be in a place where I am given the opportunity to be competitive,” he said. “That’s really the most important thing for me, to have a package that allows me to display my skills and fight for the best, that’s my only motivation, to fight for the win, the podiums and to be at the front of the grid.”
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