The weather forecast is out and it’s “Silly Season” at F1. Another storm is brewing as we may see Pierre Gasly in a blue and orange jumpsuit next season. Rumor has it that Gasly has his eyes on Daniel Ricciardo’s seat at McLaren. While the two drivers showed rather contrasting performances up to Silverstone, Daniel has improved.
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Before the race on Sunday, Skysports’ Ted Kravitz made a pretty baffling statement. Regarding the upcoming race, he said: “Pierre Gasly wants to try to beat Daniel Ricciardo because he is only one point behind him in the drivers’ championship and this fight between Gasly and Ricciardo …” Possibility that I will take place also seems less likely.
Formula 1 F1 – Styria Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Styria, Austria – June 25, 2021 AlphaTauris Pierre Gasly in action during training REUTERS / Leonhard Foeger
Ted seems pretty confident, however. He adds, “Gasly wants to try to hold on to it with all of his fingernails because he wants to be in a position where he can actually challenge Ricciardo – in a faster McLaren, it must be said – at the end of the year.”
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As he already mentioned, Gasly was one point behind Ricciardo in the drivers’ standings. Although the gap to Silverstone has increased to 11 points; Daniel got a season best P5, while Gasly scored no points.
A strong argument for Pierre Gasly
Ted Kravitz’s comments make one think: Why would Pierre want to “hold on with all his fingernails”? This is the first time we’ve heard of this speculation, but is it that intense? True, Ricciardo is struggling with the orange car but seems to have made progress over the Silverstone weekend.
While Gasly reportedly has two more years with AlphaTauri, he has mentioned that he’s received tasteful offers from other teams. He is number one on the second Red Bull team and has had a great season with the car so far. Gasly said: “We will talk to Red Bull and Helmut about that [Marko] especially.”
He added: “I don’t know what Helmut wants and whether you want to take me back, whether you want me to stay in AlphaTauri, whether you will release me to another team.”
Red Bull obviously overlooked Pierre when he went into this season when Sergio Perez took second place. It also seems that Helmut Marko and Gasly don’t exactly have the best relationship.
A stronger argument for Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren
The Frenchman is obviously in an indecisive position. His two years on the team gave him one win and two podiums; along with the importance of being the captain.
While it would be wrong to completely write off the possibility of moving from Gasly, do we see it at McLaren? If true, is the connection one-way?
Despite Ricciardo’s troubles, it seems unlikely that the team will give him up anytime soon. Ricciardo is signed to the team until 2023 so getting Gasly into the McLaren garage anytime soon will be quite difficult.
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Formula 1 F1 – Great Britain Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Great Britain – July 17, 2021 McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo during practice REUTERS / Peter Cziborra
The Aussie’s greatest strength lies in braking late and then exiting corners quickly. While this driving style has caused him problems with the MCL35M, recent results show that he has changed his style and is getting the most out of the car.
Given the sizeable gaps between races and the hype surrounding the driver market, it will be interesting to see what the list for the 2022 field will look like. It will be an interesting return after the summer break.
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