Pierre Gasly: 'A lot of people thought I was done after Red Bull'

F1

Pierre Gasly thinks he has proved the critics wrong after people thought his career was done after the Red Bull demotion

Pierre Gasly portrait

When Red Bull jettisoned Pierre Gasly mid-season in 2019, few held out much hope for his Formula 1 future.

After 12 disappointing races with the team, the Frenchman was back at Toro Rosso, where he had spent an impressive rookie season. Now he had it all to do again: having to rebuild his confidence, reputation and career.

The make-or-break moment could easily have spelled the end of his days as a grand prix racer but, as Gasly reflected in our My big break podcast, it was the start of a remarkable set of performances that have kept his dream of becoming world champion alive.

“Since then I’ve won Monza, finished on the podium in Brazil, also last year another podium [Azerbaijan] with AlphaTauri,” Gasly told Chris Medland.

“So I do feel there are a lot of positives that came out from that situation and the drive it gave me, the work that I’ve put in since has been incredible.

The 26-year-old has previously written that he was “broken up” about his Red Bull demotion, and how his goal was to prove that the team and his critics had made the wrong decision.

“I’m really happy with what I’ve managed to achieve after that because a lot of people thought I was done and that’s not the way it works with me,” he said.

“I’ve always been fighting for everything that I wanted in my life and when you try to put obstacles in front of me, I’m not the kind to go back and accept things as they are, I’m someone that fights for everything I want.”

When asked how much it has changed him professionally, the AlphaTauri driver, whose 2023 contract has recently been confirmed replied: “Big time. You always learn way more from failures and challenges than any other things, even success.

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“Because you always need to question what went wrong, what could have been better, how could you have managed things better.

“There were things in my control and there were things out of my control and being the way that I am, I’m also a control freak, I need to understand, I need transparency.

“We know drivers are all different and we need certain environments and working conditions to be at your best.

“I think we all know quite clearly what’s happened, [whether] we accept or not, this is another question, but I think it’s quite clear and we’re both fine with it.”

Pierre Gasly sits on the Monza podium

Gasly’s drive after Red Bull demotion took him to the top step in Monza

Grand Prix Photo

Now three years on, Gasly believes that was not his first and last chance with a big team in Formula 1 and is adamant things will be different next time around, when he hopes to be among the championship contenders.

“The Pierre that I am today is better than the Pierre I was three years ago, but worse than the Pierre I will be in three years,” he said.

“And that’s just the fact and that’s why I work so hard and I know my time will come and I’ll get my opportunity and once I get that opportunity, I know 100% that I will make it work. So that’s all that matters, I keep grinding, I keep working and I’m just excited for that time to come.

“Sometimes it’s important to look back and appreciate. But I’m more someone living in the moment in the present or looking ahead: ‘What do I want in one year? In three years? In five years? What is the plan that we put in place to achieve these goals?

“I want to be world champion. So now we need to get to work.”

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