Jonas LeoFormula 1 driver Pierre Gasly has openly discussed the profound sense of relief he experienced following his demotion from the senior Red Bull Racing team back to its junior counterpart, Toro Rosso, during the 2019 season. The French driver, currently competing with Alpine, detailed a challenging period characterized by a perceived lack of team support, contrasting sharply with the environment surrounding his then-teammate, Max Verstappen.
Gasly’s journey to the pinnacle of motorsport began in 2014 when he joined the esteemed Red Bull Junior Team. After years of development, he made his Formula 1 debut with Toro Rosso in late 2017, completing his first full season with the team in 2018. That year, Gasly demonstrated considerable promise, finishing 15th in the Drivers’ Standings with 29 points, a notable 25 points clear of his teammate, Brendon Hartley. This performance earned him a highly coveted promotion to Red Bull Racing for the 2019 season, a move that placed him alongside the rapidly ascending Max Verstappen and into a car expected to contend for race victories.
The promotion to Red Bull Racing, however, proved to be a significant challenge for Gasly. The 2019 season began with high expectations, particularly given Daniel Ricciardo’s departure from the team, leaving a void Gasly was tasked with filling. Yet, from the outset, Gasly struggled to adapt to the RB15 chassis, finding himself consistently off the pace of Verstappen. Across the first 12 races of the season, Gasly scored 63 points, while Verstappen amassed 181 points, securing two victories in Austria and Germany, and multiple podium finishes. This stark performance differential placed immense pressure on the young Frenchman.
Speaking in an interview with F1.com, Gasly reflected on this period, stating, "I’m not going to lie, it was sad. 2019, my second year in Formula 1 – there was no support from anywhere, in a very big team which is very much supporting Max [Verstappen] – for good reasons, because he’s put on the results." His comments shed light on the internal dynamics often present in top-tier F1 teams, where the focus can heavily gravitate towards the driver delivering consistent results. Verstappen, by 2019, had firmly established himself as Red Bull’s lead driver, a position reinforced by his consistent performance and long-term commitment to the team.
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Gasly further elaborated on the specific circumstances that compounded his struggles, including a significant personnel change on his side of the garage. "I’m starting with a fresh engineer coming from Formula E who didn’t have experience in F1," he revealed. This detail highlights a potentially critical factor in his difficulties. The relationship between a driver and their race engineer is paramount in Formula 1, requiring deep understanding, trust, and shared experience to optimize car setup, strategy, and communication during a race weekend. A new engineer, transitioning from a different racing series, would naturally require time to adapt to the unique demands and pressures of Formula 1, a luxury Gasly, under intense scrutiny at a top team, could ill afford.
"So it was a strange dynamic. I wasn’t really given the tools to really perform," Gasly continued, articulating a sentiment that suggests his performance issues were not solely attributable to his driving. In Formula 1, "tools" can encompass a wide range of support mechanisms, including car development direction, setup philosophy, strategic options, and psychological backing. His perception of not being adequately equipped to perform underscores a potential disconnect between the driver’s needs and the team’s support structure, especially when compared to the established and successful partnership on the other side of the garage. "I tried to fight my own way because I wanted, and at the end of the day I’m there to perform. They were not happy, but I’m not happy too because I could see I couldn’t show my potential."
The culmination of these challenges led to a mid-season decision by Red Bull Racing. Ahead of the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix, Gasly was demoted back to Toro Rosso, with Alexander Albon, then a rookie at Toro Rosso, taking his place at Red Bull. This move, while a clear setback for Gasly’s immediate career aspirations, brought with it an unexpected sense of liberation. "It almost felt like a relief," he stated, a candid admission reflecting the immense pressure and dissatisfaction he had been experiencing.
The return to Toro Rosso, a team he was intimately familiar with, provided Gasly with a change of environment that quickly yielded positive results. Despite the initial sadness of the demotion, the psychological burden appeared to lift. "It’s not a nice energy. I’m there to do my thing and try and give my best but it’s a lot of negativity. I go through that. I just want to drive," he explained, describing the toxic atmosphere that had developed at Red Bull. The ability to simply focus on driving, free from the overwhelming pressure and perceived lack of support, was evidently transformative.
Upon his return to Toro Rosso, Gasly’s performance saw an immediate resurgence. In the remaining nine races of the 2019 season, he scored 43 points, culminating in a remarkable second-place finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix, securing his first-ever Formula 1 podium. This result, achieved just months after his demotion, was a powerful testament to his inherent talent and resilience, demonstrating that given the right circumstances and a supportive environment, he could deliver top-tier performances.
The subsequent years further solidified Gasly’s reputation. Remaining with the rebranded AlphaTauri (formerly Toro Rosso) in 2020, he delivered an extraordinary victory at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, marking a significant milestone in his career and for the team. This triumph, under immense pressure, firmly established him as a race winner in Formula 1, silencing any lingering doubts about his capabilities. He continued to be a consistent points scorer and occasional podium contender for AlphaTauri until the end of the 2022 season.
Gasly’s experience at Red Bull is not an isolated incident in the team’s history. Red Bull’s driver programme, known for its ruthless efficiency, has seen several promising talents struggle to match Verstappen’s pace when promoted to the senior team. Drivers like Alexander Albon, who replaced Gasly, and Sergio Perez, who currently partners Verstappen, have all faced the formidable challenge of operating alongside a generational talent in a team structure often optimized around the lead driver. The intense pressure, coupled with a highly competitive internal environment, can be a make-or-break scenario for many.
For Gasly, the demotion, initially a professional setback, ultimately served as a catalyst for growth and re-establishment. It allowed him to rediscover his form and confidence away from the intense spotlight and internal dynamics of a top-tier team that he felt offered insufficient backing. His career trajectory since 2019, marked by a maiden podium, a sensational race victory, and a subsequent move to a factory team like Alpine, underscores his enduring talent and mental fortitude in the highly demanding world of Formula 1.
Currently, at Alpine, Gasly continues to navigate the complexities of F1, aiming to help the French outfit climb the constructor standings. His reflections on 2019 offer valuable insight into the psychological pressures and internal challenges that drivers face, even at the highest levels of the sport, and highlight how a change in environment, even a perceived demotion, can sometimes provide the necessary impetus for a driver to flourish.
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- Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.
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