Pierre Gasly Reveals Lack of Support During Difficult Red Bull Tenure

Pierre Gasly has opened up about his challenging stint at Red Bull Racing, describing an environment with "no support" as the team was heavily focused on Max Verstappen. The French driver's promotion came just 26 races into his F1 career, but he felt ill-equipped to handle the pressure of what is now considered one of the most difficult seats on the grid.

Why it matters:

Gasly's candid reflections highlight the intense pressure and political dynamics within top F1 teams, particularly the challenge of being Verstappen's teammate during the Dutch driver's ascendancy. His experience underscores why the second Red Bull seat has become notoriously difficult to fill, with multiple drivers struggling alongside the three-time champion.

The details:

• Gasly revealed he was promised an F1 seat if he won the 2016 GP2 (now F2) championship, but faced disappointment when the promotion didn't immediately materialize.
• His eventual break came mid-2017 when he replaced Daniil Kvyat at Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls) in Malaysia, creating immediate hype with a P4 finish in Bahrain in 2018.
• Promotion Timing: He was promoted to Red Bull Racing just six months into his first full F1 season after Daniel Ricciardo's surprise departure, creating what he describes as a "strange dynamic."
• Lack of Infrastructure: Gasly claims he wasn't given proper tools to succeed, paired with a race engineer fresh from Formula E without F1 experience, while the team's resources were overwhelmingly directed toward Verstappen.
• Performance and Demotion: Despite consistently scoring points in 11 of his 12 races (excluding a retirement in Azerbaijan), his results in the lower reaches of the top 10, with a best finish of fourth at Silverstone, led to his demotion back to Toro Rosso after just 12 grands prix.

The big picture:

Gasly's Red Bull chapter represents a common pattern where promising junior drivers struggle to adapt to the immense pressure and political environment of a top team. His subsequent success at AlphaTauri, including a dramatic victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, proved his talent lay outside the Verstappen shadow. The experience shaped his career trajectory, ultimately leading to his move to Alpine in 2023, where he has sought a more balanced team environment.

What's next:

Now established at Alpine, Gasly continues to rebuild his reputation as a capable grand prix winner and consistent points scorer. His Red Bull experience serves as a cautionary tale about driver development and team dynamics in Formula 1's high-stakes environment, while his current performances demonstrate that talent can flourish outside the pressure cooker of a championship-contending team's second seat.