The curious case of Pierre Gasly

When the F1 world thinks about drivers with uncertain futures, Pierre Gasly is a name that doesn’t necessarily come immediately off the tongue. However, he is on that list, which is frankly mad based on his performances over the past few years.

Despite being a race winner, team leader and fan favourite, news in recent days suggests that Pierre’s position at AlphaTauri could be under question.

Sergio Perez’s contract extension with Red Bull was announced last week following the Mexican clumsily mentioning the deal on the live feed following his excellent win in Monaco. The correct decision for Red Bull’s senior team, as proven by Perez’s performance on that wet day.

“So what next for the Frenchman?”

This news effectively closes the door to another promotion to Red Bull for Gasly. So what next for the Frenchman?

In reality, the status quo works for Pierre and for AlphaTauri. Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda are a great pairing of youth, speed and the ability to improve quickly. That is precisely what Red Bull’s junior team need in their drivers. It is also clear that Pierre is the team leader, happy and comfortable.

There aren’t any Red Bull drivers that obviously need promoting from the feeder series. Yet, Pierre’s position cannot last forever in what is a junior team. They say that once you are comfortable within your role, you should move on to something more challenging to develop further. So one way or another, it would be beneficial for the growth of Pierre Gasly to move on.

“Pierre was not just uncomfortable - he was out of his depth”

The issue is that when he last moved on, he was in a tricky car next to one of the quickest on the grid in Max Verstappen. Pierre was not just uncomfortable - he was out of his depth. And you can’t help but feel that a part of him may fear leaving his family in Florenza.

Where should Gasly go?

I wrote an article on Daniel Ricciardo’s future in F1, and McLaren will be critical in the driver market. If they ditch Daniel, all dominos will begin to fall. Zak Brown may have an interest in IndyCar drivers. However, the reality is that Pierre is a known quantity and rated well in the F1 paddock. So he will surely be on the shortlist.

Pierre would be an excellent signing for McLaren. He may be as quick as Lando Norris, but enough to ensure that both cars are up there and keep Woking’s leading man honest. It’s the same reason Gasly would be a suitable Mercedes recruit if Hamilton was to make a shock retirement (as much as this would disappoint Nick De Vries).

Crucially, something that counts against Pierre is that Red Bull’s top team seems to have a problem even considering Gasly returning to the team. It appears as though Pierre was more distracted by bad results and found it difficult to move on compared to Sergio Perez.

“other teams will have underlying concerns of history repeating”

While it is true that Pierre was parachuted into a demanding scenario at a young age, other teams will have underlying concerns of history repeating when considering his services.

While most people watching F1 would assume that Gasly will safely have a long successful F1 career, there is a fear that he will be left behind by his peers and replaced by someone new.

Pierre Gasly’s next career move will define his F1 legacy.

Daniel is in the driver’s seat, but he needs to take control

If there is one thing that a man my age doesn't enjoy but finds himself doing more often, it's admitting to his Dad that they were right and he was wrong.

I shall begin this article by doing just that. Lando Norris is better than Daniel Ricciardo. At least, during their time at McLaren, that has been the case.

“As is often the case in life, the dream move may not live up to expectations”

I cannot the Honey Badger out. However, nobody wants to admit it, but many in the F1 community are concerned about Daniel Ricciardo's pace in the past couple of years. He simply hasn't gelled with the car. As is often the case in life, the dream move may not live up to expectations. And that is a great shame for Daniel, F1 and the world.

The biggest worries will be coming from the top of Daniel’s McLaren team. CEO Zak Brown is an ambitious, impatient racer. The very fact that he admitted in the media that McLaren has the option to opt out of the third year of Daniel's high wage contract is a warning sign to the man from Perth. Brown is also driven to get a US driver in F1. As a marketing man and an American himself, he can see the opportunities that a driver from the States would bring McLaren and F1 as it expands rapidly in the US.

Colton Herta appears to be the chosen one if he impresses in a test with McLaren later this year. Herta has shown super speed in IndyCar. Having grown up racing in Europe, teammates with Lando Norris no less, you would think he knows what he is doing in a European style race car.

“if Colton Herta was coming to McLaren, it was always Ricciardo that would be on the back foot”

The way Lando Norris has driven in the past couple of years has been up there with the Verstappens, Leclercs, Russells and Hamiltons of this world. He is unlucky not to have a victory yet, and the way he drove through his tonsillitis in Spain was arguably the season's performance so far. In reality, if Colton Herta was coming to McLaren, it was always Ricciardo that would be on the back foot.

The thing is, Ricciardo bring many great qualities to the team. He is highly marketable as one of the most popular drivers globally. He knows how to win, as he showed in Italy last year. His positivity is undoubtedly a benefit to any team. So dumping Daniel is a big decision.

“The question is, where has Daniel got left?”

It is not over for Daniel Ricciardo, and he can improve his form. Even if it doesn't save his McLaren career, it could prove to another team that he still has what it takes to be in F1. The question is, where has Daniel got left?

The big three of Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari are unlikely, and he's burned his bridges with Alpine. So that leaves Alfa Romeo, Williams, Haas and Aston Martin. Alfa and Haas are happy with their new team leaders in Bottas and Magnussen, and Daniel probably wouldn't fancy Williams, which leaves Aston Martin. I can see Aston replacing a retiring Vettel with Ricciardo if the cards fall in the right place at the right time. So ironically, the man who Daniel embarrassed out of Red Bull in 2014 could be the man deciding Daniel's future in the sport. It's funny how life works.

Daniel's future is not strictly in Seb's hands, as much as one can trust the big-hearted German. Daniel's future is in his hands. His performances will dictate his future, and the months ahead will be telling.

Our F1 season predictions were probably wrong - and that’s tremendous

Last week, we did a podcast episode on AJontheLine, predicting the upcoming F1 season. And while it was enjoyable, with some exciting and amusing thoughts, I suspect that our predictions will be whole-heartedly wrong. But that’s tremendous.

While one may look at this poor foresight as a lack of knowledge or understanding, I look at it differently. It means that we are heading towards a fascinating season of Formula 1.

I put Red Bull as the fourth fastest car, but that looks wrong as they seem favourites now. Similarly, I put Alpine last, and they seem quick as I write during the first practice session of the season. 

I could see Charles Leclerc as one of the biggest favourites for the championship in that lightning-fast Ferrari, but how can I count out his teammate Carlos Sainz? He beat Leclerc last year and held his own against Max Verstappen back in their Toro Rosso days. The fastest Ferrari driver battle will be a spicy and tightly-contested spectacle - and it could decide the champion.

Mercedes look like they are genuinely struggling with ‘porpoising’ (listen to this podcast for more on that) but have a fast car if they can sort that out. Will they come back later in the season? Will their drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, the legend and the apprentice, remain harmonious? They surely need to initially as they get their car back to the front.

McLaren is so hard to call as well. Surely Lando Norris can find his first victory and Daniel Ricciardo his form. However, those brake issues were less than ideal last week. Either way, it is so good to see the team in a good, stable place with plenty of sponsors.

Then there is the ‘midfield’, the most confusing of the lot. Any remaining team could be the best of the rest or better on any given weekend. Will Haas, having dropped their Russian money for an old friend, be the biggest surprise? Will Fernando Alonso get the championship battle he returned to F1 for? Will Alpha Tauri shock the world and be better than the midfield? Pierre Gasly was fastest in the first session of the year, and young Yuki Tsunoda looks ready to balance his unfiltered brilliance with maturity.

There are so many questions, and those above are just the tip of the iceberg. This is a new F1 season feeling, but this time it is all-new. The shakeup in the regulations means that we can’t call anything. And that’s more than okay. Sit back, enjoy this season and join us on AJontheLine for all of the biggest talking points.

Britain’s love affair with losers has helped Lewis’ UK popularity - but at what cost?

Last week, from the train to the pub to the water cooler (if they are even safe nowadays), the world was talking about Formula One. As somebody who had watched, talked about and introduced people to F1 since I was seven, the lead up to the weekend was many emotions. Mostly pride. 

Sadly, F1 has a habit of shooting itself in the foot. Last weekend, it chose a rocket launcher, forgetting meritocracy in pursuit of drama and creating controversy in the final laps of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - listen to more on that here. 

As the world watched on, the victim of Sunday's cock up was Sir Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion led 57 and a half of the 58 laps of the final race in which he needed to win to become champion. In the penultimate lap, decision-making by the Race Director (referee) gave Max Verstappen the advantage that he needed to overtake Hamilton and snatch the championship. Did Max deserve the championship? Yes. Should Lewis have been the champion? Unquestionably.

This week, F1 has been on the news and trending on social media, with a public outcry for an apparent injustice within the meritocratic realm of sport. From Piers Morgan to Samual L Jackson, the world was upset on Hamilton's behalf. The 'next goal wins' analogy has been thrown around and is a great way to describe what people who love F1 as much as I still don't understand. 

“What people love even more is seeing a champion fall, which is what happened on Sunday.”

People love a young champion who defies odds to represent their people on the world stage. Lewis Hamilton has been that and more for the past 15 years. What people love even more is seeing a champion fall, which is what happened on Sunday.

This wasn't a fall from grace or a question of being outclassed by a young buck. Lewis Hamilton has what it took to take on Max Verstappen in what is widely agreed to have been a minimally inferior car. Moreover, a broken Hamilton congratulated the Verstappen camp, losing with the dignity many would have not blamed him for putting to one side. Lewis' sportsmanship in the face of adversity was almost as awe-inspiring as the audacity required by the Race Director to break his own rules. 

“However, that pessimism might well have been the reason that the British public has never really taken to arguably their greatest sporting champion.” 

One of the first blog posts I wrote talked about how Britain's negativity niggled with its success in a sporting arena. By no means did the UK's pessimistic mentality impact the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, that pessimism might well have been the reason that the British public has never really taken to arguably their greatest sporting champion. 

Something changed on Sunday. The outcry in this country for the injustice (yes, I know there are more significant problems in the world) was massive. On top of this, you never heard anyone criticising Hamilton - something that has become the norm. But how could you? The guy has done everything, from driving to sportsmanship, perfectly. For once, there wasn't really a way that the media could spin it in a way that would make Lewis look bad. Like the England team in the Euros this summer, he had looked destined to win until it fell apart cruelly in the closing minutes. 

“But what impact has this daylight robbery had on the British superstar, who we forget is still a human?”

While he lost the championship, Lewis Hamilton seems to have finally won some British hearts. But what impact has this daylight robbery had on the British superstar, who we forget is still a human?

Lewis hasn't been on social media all week, he chose not to go to the FIA prize-giving gala and, other than the interview that he did immediately after the race before going to the podium, he has not done any interviews. He returned to his team's headquarters to celebrate Mercedes' team championship victory on Friday. Oh, and he got knighted at Windsor Castle on Wednesday. So it's been quite a week. 

He has no obligation to talk about the pain he may feel as he processes last weekend in his own time. However, it means that we can only glean information about his state of mind from what those close to him have said. His boss, Toto Wolff, is an excellent example of this. And probably the only one too. 

In a media session following Mercedes' decision not to take the Sunday's events to court, Wolff explained that neither he nor Lewis would ever get over the pain and stress. While this may sound dramatic from the outside, it makes you think. Imagine you have dedicated your life to something. You have plenty of other things that you could be pursuing. Still, your passion for that something is so great that you reach the verge of becoming the undisputed greatest. At that moment, the world watches on, and through no fault of your own, somebody changes the rules to let someone else beat you. 

“Changes are required in F1 if it wants to keep Lewis Hamilton and the spotlight that he brings.”

I fear that F1's biggest asset and ambassador is disillusioned. You wouldn't blame Lewis for walking away. However, you wouldn't blame him for living up to the 'bad loser' image that so many Britons seem to have of him when he lost on Sunday. Changes are required in F1 if it wants to keep Lewis Hamilton and the spotlight that he brings.

2022…

So long as he is mentally healthy and enjoying himself, I hope, and I believe that Lewis Hamilton will return next year. Worryingly for his competition, he is going to be stronger too. As we saw in Brazil this year, when his back is against the wall, that is when he shines the brightest. You then have to factor in Max Verstappen, who will be his biggest challenge next season, now armed with the experience of fighting for a championship. Let's not forget that significant changes are coming in terms of the cars, hopefully bringing them closer. With such changes, you can't rule Ferrari or McLaren out. All four drivers for those teams are top operators, but, for me, Charles Leclerc is the real deal.  

So while the final chapter of 2021 may be filled with controversy, do not despair with Formula One. If we had stopped watching football after Maradona's 'hand of God' intervened, we would have missed magical moments that include Lionel Messi. Like life, sport is unfair, injustice and can stab you in the back no matter how much love you show it. But with troughs come incredible peaks - I am grateful not to have missed Hungary, USA and Brazil, this year.

I can't guarantee another winner takes all decider, like this season. However, all being well, we will see the best driver on the planet fighting it out - this time, with more than two going for the championship. You wouldn't want to miss that. 

2021 has been a season for the ages, and I already can't wait for 2022. See you then.

Listen to the AJontheLine F1 2021 Season Review - out soon.