Red Bull “made it very clear” to Gasly why he hasn’t been recalled for 2021

2020 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix

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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner rejected Pierre Gasly’s claim they did not explain why he wasn’t considered worthy of a return to the team in 2021 despite his strong campaign this year.

Gasly joined Red Bull at the start of 2019 but was replaced by Alexander Albon halfway through the year. Albon has endured a difficult 2020 campaign but Gasly has thrived at AlphaTauri, scoring a shock win at Monza, and closing to within one point of Albon in the drivers championship.

Nonetheless this week AlphaTauri confirmed Gasly will remain in their line–up for 2021. The driver told media at Imola today that Red Bull had “not really” given him an explanation for why they didn’t want him back.

Bur Horner rejected that claim, saying “it’s been made very clear” to Gasly why Red Bull has not recalled him. Horner said AlphaTauri should be considered more of a competitor in its own right rather than a junior team for upcoming talent, and therefore is a suitable home for Gasly.

“He’s a key part of the AlphaTauri team,” said Horner. “AlphaTauri has got different aspirations than that of Toro Rosso. It’s not just purely a junior team it’s more a sister team, as I’ve previously stated.

“We were very pleased for Pierre that he’s doing a great job in that environment. He’s happy in that environment. The team are very happy with him. So why break that up? I think that that’s been made clear to him.

“He’s on a long-term contract with Red Bull for the next several years. We have all the information that we need on Pierre and I think he’s been made very aware throughout the discussions that his future has always laid with AlphaTauri simply because of the evolving nature of that team and the aspirations of that team.”

Regardless of AlphaTauri’s change in status, Albon made it clear he wishes to remain at Red Bull. “It’s every driver’s dream to race for a top team like Red Bull and my intention is to stay here,” he said in response to a question from RaceFans.

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2020 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix

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38 comments on “Red Bull “made it very clear” to Gasly why he hasn’t been recalled for 2021”

  1. Horner is so slithery. From 2022 it’s time to get out of the red bull family Pierre.

  2. Was it the “Gasly has a contract with Red Bull for several more years and we want him to be at AlphaTauri” that made you come to that conclusion, or was it something else Horner said?

    1. @aiii That doesn’t mean he couldn’t leave should he wish to do so after next season.

  3. someone or something
    30th October 2020, 20:44

    Remarkable load of bull, isn’t it? (Fits the brand name, but I doubt it’s intentional)
    If that’s what they told Gasly, no wonder he’s still waiting for an explanation.

  4. Came to say exactly that.

  5. What are you lot on about? If Gasly were to go back to Redbull he’s just gonna get annihilated again and made to look like an incompetent fool just like the last time. What makes you think he has closed the gap to Verstappen? If he were to go back he he would get trounced again and that would be the end of his career. At least at Alpha Tauri he has got a bit of longevity in the sport is he puts in reasonable performances like he’s been doing. So many emotional comments here that don’t make any sense at all!

      1. Nice to encounter a voice of reason. A frustrated one, but on target none the less.
        So, where to for A Albon.?

    1. Thanks bro. Shut up gasly.

  6. Rightfully so. And they don’t owe Gasly an explanation no more than they owe Kvyat one.

  7. Bs talk, likely, but as I said previously, Gasly would be better silent. He is not good enough.

  8. I would say it also be how he sits along side Max – if Gasley came back to RB and started treading on Max’s toes that would not be healthy for RB – When he was there 1st time round he was never very humble…

    1. There you got it. The problem isn’t Gasly, the problem is Red Bull.

      1. Yes of course, they make their second car a lot slower. Why wouldn’t they.

        1. @mosquito technically, earlier in the season that was sort of the case – at the very least, only Verstappen was being given the early season upgrades, with Albon having to use older specification parts.

  9. AlphaTauri has got different aspirations than that of Toro Rosso. It’s not just purely a junior team it’s more a sister team, as I’ve previously stated.

    Nice double speak, so is it a junior team or not? If it’s not a junior team say that, as it is he just confirmed it still is with that comment.

    Confusing or what 🤷‍♂️

    1. @skipgamer Maybe I misunderstood, but I don’t really see an issue with that statement. Horner is saying that they consider Alpha Tauri as more of a sister team than when the team was called Toro Rosso.

    2. It was a junior team but will become sister team, kind of a transition right now. I am sure many teams are thinking about new cars and regulations in 2022 already, including cost cap.
      Even if big teams have an advantage now, it doesn’t guarantee them to keep it when the name of the game becomes effectiveness. No surprise Redbull strengthen AlphaTauri and Mercedes do the same with RP, as those teams have been pretty good in exploring the resources they had in the past and might move up the order in the future…

    3. It’s the junior sister. The one who isn’t expected to achieve as much and is always in the shadow of Big Sis.

  10. Maybe RedBull has already decided.
    Maybe there are legal matters in the way of outright truth now.
    Maybe Gasly was just that lucky at Monza
    and the hype around his sudden talents made him into a Grand Prix winner.
    Maybe Gasly was simply lucky and his talents had been hidden until he raced through the field that day then this talent suddenly was gone at the next several events.
    Maybe he is a kid who has tasted unearned success at a time when the lore of a race victory only blown out of proportion and suddenly he as a driver had become something he was only lucky for. Not much talent here, more about luck that’s all.
    Winning seems to have become a tale with a different message here.
    That changes with another victory. If possible….

  11. Gasly apparently had a dispute with a person/people because he complained about the setup of his car compared to Verstappens leading to his sacking. Also he felt he was not being given equal support in the way of experienced engineers, making it near impossible to compete at the level he’s capable of. Not the first time this rumour has emerged from RB. Anyway he was shown the door and it seems the bad blood continues.

    1. I did wonder if it was something along those lines, with the way Horner responded to being asked about a return to RB for Gasley.

    2. In a sky sports UK discussion between Di Resta and Nico Rosberg, over a month ago, Di Resta stated that paddock gossip was there was no way back for Gasly to RBR. He had annoyed unspecified members of Red Bull and won’t ever be considered again. Nico clearly knew what Di Resta was referring to but playfully teased him to spill the beans on TV which he didn’t do.

      1. I think Gasly said something bad about Ginger Spice. :)

        1. Maybe he thought baby spice was prettier!

          1. Please, guys, these types of comments here are just ridiculous. This is a sports site. So please stop going on about Ginger Spice or Baby Spice. I’m so sick of this type of banter on RaceFans. The winner is, of course, Sporty Spice.

  12. Red Bull has started a habit of washing out very very good drivers. I think maybe it’s time for a management shake up to end whatever toxicity is happening behind closed doors.

    1. @JacobC what does you make you think Gasly is a very very good driver? He was put alongside Max and looked nowhere near? Can you imagine other very very good drivers getting in that car and being trounced by Verstapen soo soundly no matter how good is Verstapen? Imagine such drivers as Perez, Hulkenberg, Rosberg, Leclerc, Button alongside Max. Would they get trounced? Probably most of them would be beaten, but not by that much, no matter the car characteristics. Teams are looking for 2 types of drivers: 1) amazing talents; 2) regular points scorers. Gasly didn’t meet any of these 2 criteria. He is a regular points scorer in Alpha Tauri, but he isn’t under pressure there. Meanwhile Red Bull are looking for special talents, because there are plenty of good drivers that look very good in the midfield. Remember Ricciardo. You can say Ricciardo is a very very good driver. But he wasn’t trounce by Verstapen. All in all, Gasly had a chance at the top team, he didn’t make the cut and went back to the midfield team. Same with Perez at McLaren, just that now Perez has way more experience and would be hired as a regular points scorer.

  13. “why break that up? I think that that’s been made clear to him”

    “his future has always laid with AlphaTauri simply because of the evolving nature of that team and the aspirations of that team”

    Obviously Red Bull has better cars than AlphaTauri. What’s been made clear is they don’t think he’s good enough to drive the Red Bull.

  14. He should be glad he has a seat in F1. AT is a pretty good team. And if he’s not happy then he should be going to Renault. Though I think a seat at Renault is easier to lose than with AT. Check Hulkenberg.

  15. Horner and Marko are atrocious.
    Add Jos to the list too.

    1. Why? Because they give young drivers a chance and than act according to their performance? It is F1, not kindergarden.

      1. Horner and Marko didn’t celebrate when Ricciardo denied Verstappen pole position in Mexico 2018. And also, people were angry at Gasly’s demotion. Kvyat’s demotion was unnecessary, but you know what happened next. And I’m afraid that I can’t talk about Jos right now.

      2. So you get it now, Ronald? YOU GET IT NOW?!

  16. Subtext: Gasly will never be welcome back at Red Bull as Horner and Marko will not be made to look silly by going back on their previous decisions.

  17. Gasly cannot be seen to say that he is accepting of the decision after his performances this year. This would show a lack of ambition.
    However, he needs to put in another good year at Alpha Tauri and leave for a team outside Red Bull next season while his stock is high, such as Renault.

  18. geoffgroom44 (@)
    31st October 2020, 20:16

    the media keeps pushing this as a possibility, even Andrew Benson (BBC) hasn’t yet got the message from Christian Horner about PG, when he writes ” His (PG’s) result will pile further pressure on Albon, who is under threat of losing his Red Bull drive at the end of the season”. Please dont mention that in Q2 AA was just 0.064 behind PG ending up in 4th ,and just 0.160 behind the leader VB (all on soft tyres) – when he really had to ‘pull one out of the magicians hat’
    I can only surmise that CH’s repeated statements that there is no place for PG at RB have reasons that go beyond simply supporting AA. Indeed, if AA loses his seat I am sure it will not be PG that takes it.

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