Red Bull Racing fans were unsure what to expect when the team announced that Frenchman Pierre Gasly would be filling the empty seat left by Daniel Ricciardo. The young racer had only made his Formula One debut back in 2017 and seemed inexperienced compared to some of the other candidates… And now it looks like someone even newer is going to be taking the seat.
Goodbye Gasly
Unfortunately for Pierre Gasly, the 2019 Formula One season has not been the one for him. While mighty Max Verstappen is putting the Red Bull car to the test, and currently sitting in third in the Championship, the same couldn’t be said for his French teammate. Gasly is currently sixth in the Championship, with zero wins and zero podium finishes. Ouch.
Hello Albon
Luckily, Red Bull had a backup plan up their sleeves… As usual, they turned to the up and coming talent at Toro Rosso. It was recently announced that they will be replacing Gasly with Thai-British racer, Alexander Albon. This 23-year-old driver made his debut in the 2019 Formula One and has been making pretty impressive progress. He will be taking over the seat from the Belgian Grand Prix.
Trading Places
So, what does this mean for Gasly? Well, he won’t be gone for good, that’s for sure. He’ll be trading places with Albon which is certainly a better deal than Daniel Ricciardo’s move to the flailing Renault. However, Toro Rosso is where he started and so it may feel like a few steps back for the young driver. He really needs to step up and prove Red Bull wrong by scoring some more points this season.
It’s not the end for Pierre Gasly, as he’s still got a potentially bright future ahead of him… Just not with Red Bull Racing, unfortunately.