Striking suggestion for Red Bull: 'Bottas slightly better option'
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- GPblog.com
Red Bull Racing has not yet announced who will sit alongside Max Verstappen in the RB17 in 2022. Sergio Perez has good chances, but also someone like Pierre Gasly hopes to make the switch to the Austrian formation. During the first free practice, the name of Valtteri Bottas is also mentioned on Sky Sports' broadcast.
"I think the question Red Bull are asking themselves is who else is around," said Chandhok. So one of the candidates is Gasly, but the former Formula One driver doesn't see that happening. "They won't put Gasly back in I don't think. Perez has done just about enough to re sign, mainly because I don't see who else."
Following the departure of Daniel Ricciardo in 2019, Gasly and Alexander Albon were given the chance, but both were again pushed aside. "They've had a go with Albon and Gasly, they decided that Sergio is the better option rightly or wrongly. What has become clear is that anyone in the other Red Bull alongside Verstappen has got a very difficult job," he says.
Herbert sees Bottas as an option
Another surprising option might be the name Bottas. The Finn is on the verge of being replaced by George Russell at Mercedes. "I think that [trying to lure Bottas to Red Bull] will go down to if Bottas gets moved. From a consistent point of view, he'll [Bottas] probably be slightly the better choice, because we know he is a race winner and we know he can beat Lewis. That'll be an interesting call," adds Johnny Herbert.