Pierre Gasly has been in F1 since 2017, and has raced for Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri), and Redbull. Gasly has been guided under the wings of Redbull now for six years. But will he be flying the nest soon?
Time With Redbull
Gasly has expressed his wishes to be fighting for the championship in one of the bigger teams of F1. Yet these dreams were shot down recently, after the news that Redbull had extended Sergio Pérez’s contract until 2024. Unfortunately for the Frenchman, the Redbull seats are now full until at least 2024. Gasly’s desire to return to Redbull may have something to do with his infamous drop from the team. After being contracted to join Max Verstappen as a fellow Redbull driver in 2019, he only lasted with the team for half a season. After failing to come close to Verstappen’s achievements, Redbull made the decision to move Gasly back to Toro Rosso, the Redbull junior team.
While he is a highly rated driver by F1 pundits, his position in the driver’s market is not so secure. Gasly has explained that he must keep all his options open, because now that Redbull have backed Pérez, he does not know where he will go. He could remain with AlphaTauri, but their start to the 2022 season has seen them become a midfield team. For someone as ambitious as Gasly, this will not sit well for the future.
Where Could He Go?
One seat that Gasly may fill is that of Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren seat. The Aussie is suffering immense pressure from fans, pundits, and his team, as he is struggling to get to grips with the 2022 McLaren. He’s fallen back on expectations and is struggling to get championship points. Could the Frenchman replace him? F1 journalist Tom Clarkson has suggested so. If Gasly is to progress in F1, should he leave the likes of Christian Horner and Helmut Marko behind? It’s clear that McLaren need a driver to match the strength of Lando Norris, perhaps Gasly can fill those shoes (and seat).
Gasly’s impressive overtaking at Monaco has shown that he deserves a faster car. With AlphaTauri falling behind and Redbull sorted for two years, what’s left for Gasly?