Pierre Gasly has taken the lid off his turbulent time in Formula 1 with Red Bull, offering a candid glimpse into the struggles that marred his brief tenure with one of the sport’s most formidable teams. In a striking revelation, he confessed that he was not “given the tools to perform” during his half-season stint, a period that would prove pivotal in shaping his racing career.
Before joining Red Bull, Gasly had established himself as a formidable talent, capturing the GP2 championship in 2016 and following it up with an impressive runner-up finish in Super Formula. His ascent through the ranks culminated in his debut with Toro Rosso, Red Bull’s sister team, and positioned him to take over from Daniel Ricciardo when the Australian departed for Renault in 2019.
Gasly vividly remembers the moment his life changed. “Right after Budapest, Daniel announced he was leaving,” he recounted on the show Off The Grid. The news hit him while he was vacationing in Greece, a moment of disbelief quickly replaced by the overwhelming reality that he was now competing for a seat at Red Bull against Carlos Sainz. “The phone rang and Helmut [Marko] told me: ‘Okay, you’re a Red Bull Racing driver at the start of next year’ – this was six months into my first full season in F1.”
However, the fairy tale quickly turned into a nightmare. Gasly’s time at Red Bull was short-lived, as he found himself overshadowed by teammate Max Verstappen, who was firmly established as the team’s star driver. “I’m not going to lie, it was sad,” Gasly admitted. “2019, my second year in Formula 1 – there was no support from anywhere, in a very big team which is very much supporting Max – for good reasons, because he’s put on the results.”
Gasly faced a steep uphill battle, starting with an inexperienced engineer who had transitioned from Formula E to Formula 1. “It was a strange dynamic. I wasn’t really given the tools to really perform,” he reflected. Despite his efforts to carve out a space for himself and demonstrate his capabilities, Gasly felt the frustration of being unable to reach his potential. “They were not happy, but I’m not happy, too, because I could see I couldn’t show my potential.”
Since leaving Red Bull, Pierre Gasly has demonstrated remarkable resilience, revamping his career at AlphaTauri, where he clinched a stunning maiden victory at Monza in 2020. With no clear pathway back to the Red Bull fold, Gasly opted for a new challenge with Alpine in 2023, where he has already garnered two podium finishes.
Looking ahead, he is brimming with optimism about the team’s future, particularly with the introduction of Mercedes engines in 2026. “I’m very optimistic on the car we are putting together,” Gasly remarked. “Chassis side, engine-wise, I think everything is looking good. We are hitting all our targets, so very excited for ’26.” The combination of fresh chassis and engine regulations sets the stage for a thrilling new chapter in Gasly’s career, one that he hopes will finally allow him to showcase the talent that was stifled during his Red Bull days.
