Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri Extension Could Be A Pawn in Red Bull’s Ingenious Masterplan As Sergio Perez Nears Eventual F1 Exit

Pierre Gasly is one driver whose future was up in the air until very recently. The Frenchman is a product of the Red Bull driver academy and currently drives for their sister team, AlphaTauri.

However, his performances over the last 2 seasons have indicated a much-deserved move to a top team where he can fight for podiums and wins.

Gasly has enjoyed a stellar change in fortunes ever since being demoted from Red Bull midway through the 2019 season. He has 3 Formula 1 podiums, with one of them being a race win at Monza.

However, with the current situation with regards to seats available on the grid, a step up looks bleak for Gasly. This has prompted the Frenchman to sign another extension at AlphaTauri.

In the meantime, fans have started speculating if Red Bull is hoping to shape the Frenchman as the perfect second driver for the season to come.

Gasly’s performances see his stock rise, but switch to a top team is still out of sight

Pierre Gasly came through the ranks at Red Bull before being handed a shot at the prized Red Bull seat. However, that did not go as planned as Gasly struggled to adjust to the car and keep up with teammate Max Verstappen.

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This led him to be demoted back to AlphaTauri. Gasly would go on to secure his first-ever podium later that season in Brazil. A stellar 2020 campaign would follow with his first-ever F1 victory.

This had many tipping him for a return to Red Bull for the 2021 season. However, he was overlooked in favor of veteran Sergio Perez. Pierre continued with AlphaTauri for 2021 and another strong season followed. He would go on to finish P9 in the driver standings with 110 points.

Undoubtedly, he has solidified his reputation in the paddock as a valuable driver. AlphaTauri boss, Franz Tost supports this stance. He has previously said, “Pierre has achieved another level and for me, he now belongs among the best drivers in Formula 1.”.

Pierre Gasly set to play Wingman for Verstappen in the future?

With Sergio Perez signing a 2-year extension with Red Bull this season, the door on Gasly’s move to Red Bull has now shut. The 26-year-old also has next to no immediate options to make a switch to take his career to the next level with most drivers firmly locked in at their respective teams.

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This means that to stay in F1 Gasly has decided to continue at AlphaTauri. The team has been great over the past 2 seasons. However, they remain majorly a stepping stone for Red Bull junior drivers to make the potential move to the main team.

This has prompted most fans into believing Red Bull is preparing Gasly to be the perfect second driver for Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the years to come.

It is no secret how a strong second driver can help teams dominate the championship. They help in securing a hoard of points while never really threatening the star driver of the team.

Gasly has previously praised Perez for being the perfect second driver, “Based on what they expect from a second driver Perez ticks all the boxes, he is doing an amazing season, performing very well, fast, has some backing financially, good experience, and is a good fit for the team.” More time at his current team would mean that Gasly will not get to develop that killer instinct.

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This would slowly shape him into what Valtteri Bottas was to Lewis Hamilton during his tenure at Mercedes. This could very well be Gasly’s future with no imminent move in sight as his career looks to stagnate.

Can Gasly secure a move to a top team soon enough? Or will he end up playing second fiddle to Verstappen in the years to come?