Gasly: 'Don't know what Red Bull is planning with me'

5 January 2022 at 18:16

Last update 5 January 2022 at 18:39

GPblog.com

Pierre Gasly had a brief taste of the big time at Red Bull Racing in 2018, but halfway through the season he was transferred back to the Toro Rosso, now called AlphaTauri. It was a big blow for the Frenchman and his image was also dented. Yet Gasly is not afraid that he won't get a chance at a top team again.

Magnussen and Perez not as examples

Something like this happened to Kevin Magnussen in Formula 1. He was debuted for top team McLaren-Mercedes in 2014, but was not deemed good enough after finishing 11th in the world championship. The Dane was fired and had to watch from the sidelines the following year. In 2016 he signed a contract with Renault, but Magnussen always continued to drive around in the midfield or towards the back of the field.

For Sergio Perez, that scenario was also apparent. He joined McLaren-Mercedes in 2013 after two good seasons for Sauber. However, he was shown the door after one year and drove for Force India/Racing Point until 2020. An opportunity at a top team didn't seem likely to appear for Perez, but eventually Red Bull offered a solution.

Gasly believes opportunity will come

Perez hopes he won't have to wait for much longer for another chance at a team that will enable him to compete for the race victories on a regular basis. Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing seem to have a stable lineup in place, even heading into 2023. Gasly is not worried that a new opportunity will not come, however: "No, because the market will change. The contracts of many drivers expire in 2023. Opportunities will arise. In Formula 1, everything goes very fast. I'm not too worried. There will be opportunities. I know that." Moreover, the batting order in the premier class of motorsport is potentially going to be very different because of the rule changes that will come into effect next year.

Currently, Gasly's contract at the Red Bull group runs until 2023, which he confirmed to Auto, Motor und Sport. "The contract runs until 2023. At the moment the plan is a seat in 2024. We will see. As I said, the situation in Formula 1 is changing rapidly. I don't know what Red Bull is planning with me. Whether they want to continue or release me earlier. We'll talk about that later."

What exactly Gasly means by "the plan" is not entirely clear. He seems to be referring to capturing a seat at a top team, potentially Red Bull themselves.