Pierre Gasly is reported by Canal+ to be leaving the Red Bull Racing Formula One hold at the end of this season. Gasly joined the junior Red Bull team Torro Rosso when Daniel Kvyat was dropped. Yet despite being promoted briefly to the senior team for the 2019 season to partner Max Verstappen following Daniel Ricciardo’s departure to Renault.
Pierre qualified his first race just 17th in the Australian season opener but failed to score points. He again failed to qualify top 10 next time out in Bahrain then retired from the 3rd race of the season in Baku.
Despite scoring points at the next 6 races, Gasly was lapped by the leaders in Canada, France and Austria, the latter was won by his team mate.
Gasly wins his first GP
Due to a collision between Verstappen and Vettel, the French driver finished 4th at the British GP. Then in Germany Pierre collided with Torro Rosso’s Alex Albon while fighting for 6th place.
In Hungary Gasly came under more pressure having been lapped again by Max Verstappen though finished in Budapest in P6.
By now Gasly was sixth in the drivers’ championship with 63 points. Verstappen, meanwhile, had recorded 181 points, two race wins, five podium finishes, and one pole position.
Over the summer break Pierre was demoted back to Torro Rosso alongside Daniel Kvyat and Alex Albon was promoted in Gasly’s place.
Gasly demoted
Red Bull stated that the swap was made in order to “make an informed decision as to who will drive alongside Max [Verstappen] in 2020.”
Christian Horner stated, “we desperately need [Gasly] realising more of the potential of the car.”
Gasley then remained in the junior Red Bull team which was rebranded Alpha tour in 2020. At that year’s Italian GP an early pit stop allowed Gasley to pass several drivers as they stacked in the pits under the Safety Car.
As the race leader Hamilton entered the pits to serve a penalty Gasley jumped Lance Stroll at the restart to inherit the lead. He managed too hold off a late charging Carlos Sainz to win the race and become the 109th different race winner and the first French driver to win a Grand Prix since Olivier Panis’ victory at the 1996 Monaco GP, 24 years earlier.
Pierre’s future doomed
Gasly was set never to return to the Big Bull F1 team as when Alex Albon was dropped for 2021 instead of recruiting the French driver the team opted to bring in Sergio Perez, so its no surprise to learn Pierre Gasly is leaving the team for next season.
Pierre is set to replace Fernando Alonso at Alpine and the word in the paddock is that Nyck De Vries will be joining Alpha Tauri.
Alpine will next year field an all French line up, though their current driver Esteban Ocon and Gasley reportedly do not get on.
Red Bull junior programme crisis
Nyck de Vries impressed on debut last time out when he substituted for the unwell Alex Albon so it appears Red Bull racing have swooped to capture his services before his expected signing by Williams F1 was complete.
Where this leaves the Red Bull junior programme is a question many of the young drivers will be now asking. Prior to signing ex Mercedes junior de Vries, Red Bull attempted to sign IndyCar young portage Colton Herta. So at no point was a junior programme driver ever going to replace the departing Gasly.
Alpine have already suggested they may abandon their junior driver programme due to McLaren poaching their young superstar Oscar Piastri.
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