The Frenchman also revealed that he would not have been able to keep up Hamilton if they were in their 2021 cars.
Follow Us
According to Pierre Gasly, reports that Mercedes may not be in a winning position in 2022 are accurate. After running into Lewis Hamilton on track during the Bahrain test, the Alpha Tauri driver revealed that he was able to practice some nose-to-tail racing with the new ground effect cars. The Frenchman also revealed that he would not have been able to keep up Hamilton if they were in their 2021 cars.
“I didn’t think I’d be able to fight with Lewis like that,” Gasly said. “It is much easier to cling to an opponent now. That makes me very optimistic for the coming season.”
Read More – Formula 1’s unknown competitive order makes for can’t-miss season opener at Bahrain
Hamilton, meanwhile, was having “big problems” with the handling of his silver Mercedes, according to the 26-year-old Frenchman. “That was clear to see,” Gasly said. “I guess Mercedes still have a lot of work to do if they want to fight for victories.”
It is no secret that AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly fancies a return to Red Bull Racing more than anything. The Frenchman was axed from the team some three years ago as he failed to meet expectations and was usually heavily overshadowed by then-teammate and current Formula One world champion Max Verstappen. The 26-year-old has pushed to get back to the team ever since, especially with his successor, Alex Albon, failing to drive up to the mark as well.
However, the skill and experience of Sergio Perez impressed the team and the Mexican will remain at Red Bull at the end of the upcoming season. As for Gasly, the Frenchman believes that 2023 might be his last chance to reach the front of the grid with Red Bull.
Read More – Porpoising issue will fizzle out over the course of the season: Mattia Binotto
“Absolutely, that’s clearly the goal,” said Gasly about returning to Red Bull. “I’m not in F1 to be satisfied with top 10 or top 5. Victories, poles, championships are the only reason I work so hard in F1. And for that, you need the car.”
“We’ll see how it goes this year. I have two years left on my contract, if we decide to go all the way. For this year of course it’s at Alpha Tauri, so by itself there’s only 2023 left as a potential year with Red Bull. This is something that will have to be discussed,” he added.
