Pierre Gasly has spoken about his stint as Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull, revealing that the team clearly favored the Dutch driver. Gasly was promoted to Red Bull in 2019 but lasted only 12 races before being demoted back to Toro Rosso, now known as AlphaTauri. During his brief time with the senior team, Gasly struggled to match Verstappen’s performance, finishing outside the points in two races and achieving only two top‑5 results. In contrast, Verstappen secured a top‑5 finish in every race, earning three podiums and two wins.
Gasly admitted that his situation at Red Bull was complicated and that the team treated the two drivers differently. He noted the focus on Verstappen, saying “it wasn’t made for two cars” and that the approach “worked perfectly for Max.” He also discussed conversations with Charles Leclerc, who moved to Ferrari in 2019, about the disparate treatment they received after joining top teams. While Gasly praised Red Bull for doing an “incredible job” for Verstappen, he emphasized that the approach was different for him.
Despite the difficulties he faced at Red Bull, Gasly expressed gratitude to the organization, which later helped him claim his first Formula 1 victory in 2020 with the junior team, AlphaTauri. Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has dismissed the notion that Verstappen is the “boss” of the team, stating that all agreements are clear and that Verstappen has never made any special requests. Nevertheless, the way Red Bull handles Verstappen’s teammates has raised questions, as none have consistently matched his performance; several have been demoted or struggled to keep up.
In 2025, Verstappen’s teammates were Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, neither of whom could match his pace. For the 2026 season, Verstappen will be paired with Isack Hadjar, who impressed with his performances at Racing Bulls. The team’s dynamics and driver management will be closely scrutinized, given the historical pattern of Verstappen’s teammates finding it difficult to keep up with him.
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