Gasly ’convinced’ of second top-team chance

Pierre Gasly says he is "convinced" that he is destined to reunite with a top Formula 1 team.

The Frenchman, now 26, actually got his big chance with Red Bull Racing in 2019 - only to relegated back to the junior outfit after struggling alongside Max Verstappen.

But he told Canal Plus that getting another shot is just "a matter of time".

"In Formula 1, you have to have the right timing for the politics, for all the financial aspects. It happened once after one season in F1 where I had done a lot less things than what I have done today," said the top Alpha Tauri driver.

"I was a less good driver compared to today and still I was given my chance. So I am convinced that it will happen by continuing to show the performances we have shown over the past few years.

"I have much clearer ideas about what I want, the things I need, what I expect from my team, the directions to give based on what I’ve learned since I arrived in Formula 1. I am much more complete and that gives you a kind of confidence.

"I always knew that being fast was never a problem, but in F1 there is more to it than that. You have to create enthusiasm in the team and ensure everyone is working in the same direction.

"My approach and my management of the races, my management of the weekends, are still improving from year to year."

Gasly says his overriding motivation is to become world champion.

"It won’t be this year, that’s for sure, but whether it’s next year, in two years, in three years, there will be that opportunity so it’s important to show my potential all the time," he said.

Meanwhile, after finishing the Saudi Arabia GP in severe intestinal pain, subsequent medical checks have cleared the 2020 Italian GP winner of any serious ailment.