Breaking news
Formula 1
Gasly won't be "second driver" at Red Bull
Incoming Red Bull Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly says he is not going to the team in 2019 to be "second driver" to Max Verstappen.
Lewis Duncan Oleg Karpov
Published: Jan 18, 2019, 2:06 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Red Bull junior Gasly made his full-time F1 debut in 2018 with Toro Rosso having contested five races with the team at the end of the previous season, ending the campaign 15th overall with 29 points and a best finish of fourth in Bahrain.
The Frenchman has been promoted to Red Bull for '19 as the Renault-bound Daniel Ricciardo's replacement alongside multiple race winner Verstappen.
"For sure I'm going to be next to one of the best drivers on the grid at the moment and for me it's a great challenge," Gasly told Motorsport.com.
"So I will take the time I need to be competitive, but I'm not going to be there to be second driver, that's not what I want and not going to be satisfied with that.
"If I have the car to win then that's what I would love to do. And if I have a car which is only good for top five, then that's going to be the target.
"But at the end of the day it was only my full first season in Formula 1 [in '18] and for sure I'm going to get better and better, season after season because experience plays quite a big part.
"So I know that I didn't reach my full potential, but that's my only motivation and I'm fully dedicated to do everything I can to reach my best level as soon as possible."
Gasly says he is "super excited" at the prospect of going up against Verstappen, but is wary he will need time to get "comfortable" with the "more English culture" of Red Bull.
Having entered F1 in late-2017 with the junior team, Gasly's only race experience in F1 comes with the Italian outfit.
"For sure I will probably need some time to get comfortable with the team, to get used with the car, with the people, the way of working," Gasly added.
"Coming from Toro Rosso to Red Bull is, as I say, different targets, different culture also, more English culture in Red Bull.
"So this is the kind of things that take a bit of time, but for sure Max is one of the fastest guys at the moment in the paddock and for me I'm super excited to go alongside him because that's how you also raise your game.
"So I find it a really exciting time for myself and I'm really looking forward to starting, and we will see how I perform straight away.
"But for sure I will get better through the season and that's fair to say."
Pierre Gasly, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Lowe "fell into trap" of wrong mentality at Williams
Next article Kubica will be "more like a rookie" in 2019
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Lewis Duncan
Marquez “comfortable” on Ducati MotoGP bike “but not ready for podium”
MotoGP
MotoGP
Qatar GP
Marquez “comfortable” on Ducati MotoGP bike “but not ready for podium”
Brivio: Trackhouse offers 'great opportunity' for MotoGP and NASCAR worlds to collide
MotoGP
MotoGP
Qatar GP
Brivio: Trackhouse offers 'great opportunity' for MotoGP and NASCAR worlds to collide
Marini urges patience at Honda as new MotoGP season approaches
MotoGP
MotoGP
Qatar Official Testing
Marini urges patience at Honda as new MotoGP season approaches
More from
Pierre Gasly
Williams has better cooling vests than anyone – Alex Albon
Formula 1
Formula 1
Williams has better cooling vests than anyone – Alex Albon
‘I’m sideways all the time’ – How Alpine’s feral F1 car plagued Pierre Gasly in Singapore
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
‘I’m sideways all the time’ – How Alpine’s feral F1 car plagued Pierre Gasly in Singapore
More from
Red Bull Racing
"Just undriveable" – Isack Hadjar looking for answers after "massive" struggles in Austin practice
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
12 h
"Just undriveable" – Isack Hadjar looking for answers after "massive" struggles in Austin practice
Red Bull identifies two "key focus" areas after Max Verstappen's promising start in Austin
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
15 h
Red Bull identifies two "key focus" areas after Max Verstappen's promising start in Austin
Latest news
F1 United States GP: Sunday schedule, weather forecast and how to watch
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
32 min
F1 United States GP: Sunday schedule, weather forecast and how to watch
2026 F1 United States Grand Prix starting grid
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
41 min
2026 F1 United States Grand Prix starting grid
F1 2026 qualifying head-to-head: United States GP
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
55 min
F1 2026 qualifying head-to-head: United States GP
F1 United States GP: Kimi Antonelli takes pole with George Russell sixth
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
1 h
F1 United States GP: Kimi Antonelli takes pole with George Russell sixth
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe