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Pierre Gasly's recent victory at Monza questions Red Bull's choice in terms of driver line up but is bringing him back next to Max Verstappen the right choice ? In my opinion, it may not be.
" In Formula 1, Consistency is key" Georges Russell
Red Bull has a unique place in Formula one. They have two teams: Aston Martin Red Bull Racing and Alpha Tauri. In the sport, the Red Bull drivers mostly started with the Alpha Tauri team and then they are promoted if talented enough at Red Bull.
In 2019, Red Bull promotes Pierre Gasly after two quite impressive seasons in formula 1. He replaces Daniel Ricciardo and lines up along side Verstappen. From a personal opinion, this was not the easiest spot on the grid. Indeed, Verstappen is one of the greatest drivers on the grid, championship winning material and hugely charismatic. Furthermore, it is true to think as well that Aston Martin Red Bull is functioning for Verstappen and mostly for him. It was a lot of pressure to take on for the French man and he found himself unable to live up to the expectations that Christian Horner and Helmut Marko were setting.
After a beginning of season filled with ups, Gasly get demoted from red bull and moved back to Toro Rosso ( Alpha Tauri ). He is replaced by the upcoming talent Alexander Albon at Spa-Francorchamps and that very same week-end he lost his best friend Anthoine Hubert after a crash. Ever since, he has shown strength, scored a p2 in Brasil and took the opportunity to win in Monza.
"Huge congratulations to Pierre, it's a fantastic result for him and it's great to see such a young podium. Obviously, I've seen what Pierre's been through, being dropped from a top team and then beating that top team today.
It's fantastic to see him recover and see him grow, so I'm very happy for him." Lewis Hamilton on Gasly's win
Meanwhile, his direct opponent for the top-team seats, Alexander Albon seems to face some struggles but his performances are not as catastrophic as they seem. Indeed, he is slightly behind Max Verstappen in qualification: in between 0.2 and 0.4 seconds. But the tightness of the midfield make that small gap look even bigger because it does cost him 4 to 5 positions. Moreover, the RB16 does not seem to be the easiest car to drive and this emphasises Max's immense talent.
“Under-steer, over-steer, lack of grip. Not having a lot of top speed as well. Everything together just makes it slow” Max Verstappen on his car
Knowing that at Red Bull, the second car symbolises more a test for Verstappen's car settings. The difference of performance is more than understandable. However, he has been regularly out qualified by Gasly and the gap between him and his team mate does cost to Red Bull a lot of constructors championship points.
What I believe is the key for Red Bull is consistency and trust in their drivers that goes beyond a facade. They should have given Gasly more time to adapt and to find his place and now they have to ensure that Albon has the time to lead the team closer to Mercedes.
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