Red Bull junior team driver Pierre Gasly has rejected claims he suggested he could drive for Toro Rosso in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Quotes attributed to Gasly from last weekend’s Super Formula race during Autopolis appeared to suggest this was a possibility. However Gaslt denied the claim in a post on Twitter.
“[I] just said I was hoping to drive for STR soon,” wrote Gasly in a response to a journalist. “[I] never mentioned Malaysia. Just twisting my words.”
Reports Carlos Sainz Jnr will switch to Renault from Toro Rosso for 2018 prompted speculation the move could happen sooner, with Gasly moving over from Super Formula to take Sainz’s place potentially as early as the Malaysian Grand Prix after this weekend’s race in Singapore.
Gasly, who has already tested for Toro Rosso and Red Bull, won the GP2 (now Formula Two) championship last year. He scored his second consecutive victory in Japan’s Super Formula championship at Autopolis and is in contention for the championship. But the series’ double-header finale at Suzuka clashes with the United States Grand Prix weekend.
The 21-year-old had a similar conflict with the media last year. Red Bull chief Helmut Marko rejected claims Gasly could step in to replace Daniil Kvyat for 2017 after an interview Gasly had given to a Spanish television channel. Afterwards Gasly said he would take more care when speaking to the media.
Toro Rosso has already announced another driver will participate in four practice sessions before the end of the year. Formula Two racer Sean Gelael, who has previously tested for the team. will drive in practice for this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix and at three further race weekends.
Moi
11th September 2017, 12:58
After Sainz’s tantrums and now this form Gasly, perhaps RB should give some thought to giving their young drivers some media training.
ECWDanSelby (@ecwdanselby)
11th September 2017, 13:06
Agreed. He’s doing his bit on track, but all this talking off track will not do him any favours. Kvyat the same. I can’t believe the cheek of him pushing Red Bull for an answer after his dismal performances. Saying that, he clearly has some Russian backing, so can afford to be a little more pushy than Gasly.
MattDS (@mattds)
11th September 2017, 13:33
Nothing wrong with what Gasly has said, and definitely nothing that merits “media training”.
Unless you would want to propose that drivers aren’t allowed to say anything anymore.
Moi
11th September 2017, 14:30
Apparently you do not know what media training is or what it is for.
It is not about right or wrong. It is intended to protect the trainees, succesful but inexperienced, from the media. It teaches them that reporters are not your friends, they are people doing their jobs which is to generate attention with the articles they create. It teaches them how to avoid a situation where their words can be ‘twisted’ in the first place.
Yeezy918 (@)
11th September 2017, 15:09
Well said Moi.
MattDS (@mattds)
11th September 2017, 20:47
I do invite you to read his words again that sparked the entire discussion. My point is that he couldn’t have avoided this situation but for staying silent altogether. Alternative take on my point, that if the media want to twist your words, they’ll do so, whatever those words initially were. No media training will prevent that.
Patrick (@paeschli)
11th September 2017, 14:06
The question is : did he mention Malaysia or not? If the media really twisted his words, there is nothing wrong with setting the record straight.
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
11th September 2017, 16:12
Judge for yourself… Either the quote given to Motorsport was wrong, or Gasly denies it unnecessarily/wrongly, because the article only says that he confirms he’s in contention with Malaysia actually mentioned.
Bob
11th September 2017, 17:48
Jon Noble quoted his original statement “Malaysia will arrive quickly. Let’s see how it goes. Hopefully I can be there.” Which is nothing like what was attributed to him.
nase
11th September 2017, 16:50
@ Sainz’s ‘tantrums’:
I don’t think he needs (needed) protection from the media. He apparently had the feeling that he was stuck at Toro Rosso, a mere serf for RB’s plans, like so many TR drivers before him. So he used the press to spread the word that he’s more than willing to break free from his contract. If he does end up replacing Palmer at Renault, that’d mean it’s worked out perfectly.
The only ones who had an interest in Sainz keeping his mouth shut would’ve been Red Bull. They had no real intentions of promoting him, but they needed him as a substitute for the unlikely event of Verstappen leaving the team. Since RB/TR is an almost hermetical system, Sainz needed to cause a bit of a stir to get other teams interested.
Gasly might be a different case. RB hate disloyalty, and unlike Sainz, Gasly does see his future with them. But on the other hand, who else should they give a seat? I don’t really see any competition for Gasly.
kwacky1 (@kwacky1)
11th September 2017, 13:13
No mention of Gasly in this media twisted article about Sainz joining Renault.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
11th September 2017, 13:21
How do we know that the journo did not mis-quote him? Besides he is only 21 and an up and coming F1 driver with ambition and skill. A little bit of arrogance is to be expected even required if he is to compete with the likes of Vettel and Hamilton. Whether he makes the grade or not remaines to be seen. Until then give him a bit of air.
GeeMac (@geemac)
11th September 2017, 14:37
Jon Noble’s reply tweet actually comes to Gasly’s defence. Noble says that Gasly did mention Malaysia and how he hoped he “could make it”…it was far from him saying “I’m definitely going to be racing an STR in Malaysia”
Have to side with Gasly here even though he does have previous.
praxis (@praxis)
12th September 2017, 8:25
@geemac, he pointed to the actual conversation.
But yeah, that Motorsport article & the header definitely says that “Gasly confirms Toro Rosso chance for Malaysia”.
WeatherManNX01
11th September 2017, 17:49
I think I’m going to have to side with Gasly over Noble/Motorsport.
He didn’t confirm anything. He said, “Now, we have a few days until the next race, and Malaysia will arrive quickly. Let’s see how it goes. Hopefully I can be there.” It is not unusual for young drivers to make non-driving appearances for their teams – he could simply be implying that he’s spending the week with the RB/STR teams as part of his duties with Red Bull and not actually getting in a car.
On the other hand, maybe he’s going to be in a car.
But we’re trying to read between the lines and call it “confirmed” that he’s in the mix. A better headline would have been, “Gasly hints at Toro Rosso chance for Malaysia”. Or perhaps, “Does Gasly have Torro Rosso chance for Malaysia?”
Chris
11th September 2017, 22:35
Good Reporting. I’ve noticed especially lately how all the other media outlets get our hopes up with click bait silly titles that make it sound like everything is legitimately official, though when you come here, you get the latest news without the bull.
DB-C90 (@dbradock)
11th September 2017, 23:03
So many speculative stories about the Mclaren/Honda saga being written supposedly bases on what’s been hears from “sources” close to the team’s.
I’m beginning to wonder is the sources are imagined for the benefit of a good story or if real are the mate of a mate whose cousin once was in the same room as a guy that works for the team.
Evilhomer (@)
12th September 2017, 12:27
I think Pierre Gasly may have learnt from last year about what he says. Its not like he doesn’t know if there is a shake up he may be in the car in 2 weeks. I think he done ok there with his comments, you cant blame the kid for being keen to get an F1 car.