Red Bull drops major Pierre Gasly hint

Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley has hinted that Pierre Gasly might be ready for promotion to the senior team once again. Wheatley says the team has learned how to deal with junior drivers who have struggled with a lack of experience in the last few years.

Speaking on the podcast The Jack Threlfall Show, Wheatley said:

“In all honesty, I think Pierre is ready to take the next leap forward. With Alex Albon, we learned how to help a rider in a difficult moment and the same happened to Pierre before him.”

He further said:

“He [Gasly] gained new life from the experience in Alpha Tauri, and this helped him find the correct path. Alex is an extraordinary young man, a fantastic and fast driver. But a bit like Pierre, a teammate like Max Verstappen did not find the right measures with his side.”

Gasly previously drove for Red Bull during the first half of the 2019 season. In only his second year in F1, the Frenchman, however, struggled to cope with the intense pressure from being at the top. He struggled to adapt to the tricky RB19 and was consistently off the pace.

By mid-season, he was demoted back to Red Bull’s junior team Toro Rosso and was replaced by Alex Albon for the rest of the season. Albon too suffered from the same issues as Gasly, despite performing significantly better compared to the latter, and was ultimately replaced by Sergio Perez for the 2021 season.

Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly regained his confidence after his return to Toro Rosso, now Alpha Tauri, clinching his maiden podium and race victory in successive seasons. In 2021, the Frenchman was one of the most consistent performers on the grid, single-handedly keeping Alpha Tauri in the battle for P5 in the constructors' championship.

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Alpha Tauri boss believes Pierre Gasly “can still improve” amid Red Bull links

Alpha Tauri team principal Franz Tost believes Pierre Gasly still has the potential for improvements before he can step up to the Red Bull senior team. Tost believes that while the Frenchman “made a step forward”, he is yet to unlock his full potential.

Speaking in a post-season interview with Motorsport Italia, Tost said:

“He has fantastic potential, but I have still the feeling he can improve. From the driving he has now the experience of how to set up the car, how to manage the tires, he can read the race, which is very important, you can hear this on the radio the questions he is asking. He made this year another big step forward, a real big step forward. And once more if our car works, he will be there.”

Following his stellar performances in 2021, Pierre Gasly was disappointed with Red Bull’s decision to not consider promoting him to the senior team in 2022. In a post-season interview with Sky Sports, he expressed his disappointment, but reiterated his commitment to Alpha Tauri, believing his time with the top team is yet to come.