Pierre Gasly insists that he has no regrets over his time with the Red Bull stable ahead of his impending switch to Alpine for 2023. The Frenchman first arrived in the sport back in 2017 with the then-called Toro Rosso outfit before being promoted to the main Red Bull team for the 2019 F1 season. However, midway through the campaign, Gasly was demoted back down to Toro Rosso after struggling to match the pace of teammate Max Verstappen. He went on to rebuild at the squad – now known as AlphaTauri – and claimed his debut Formula 1 victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix. Gasly's long stint with the Red Bull family is now coming to a close and, despite the ups and downs, he admits that he wouldn't change anything about the experience.
Gasly: I'm a much stronger driver than I was
When asked if his exit from the outfit sparked any feelings of not having had the chances he deserved, Gasly told media, including RacingNews365.com : "Not at all. "This was my career and my story with Red Bull. I really believe that whatever was meant to happen happened, and [that] it's meant to be like [this]. "I've learned a lot. I think I'm definitely in a much stronger position. I'm a much stronger driver than I was. "If I'm the person that I am today thanks to the experience that I've had there, I've grown up a lot – whether it was on track or off the track – and, if you asked me, I wouldn't change it for anything." Gasly feels that, after becoming "stronger" during hs time with the team, he can continue to develop in the years ahead. "I'm 26 now. I'm every year getting better – I'm like a good red wine!" he added. "I don't know when this is going to stop, but I just know personally [that] I just keep getting better and I know the best is yet to come. "I'm really grateful for what's happened. [It] could have been different but, at the end of the day, it's just happened the way it [has] and there have been a lot of lessons learned from that."
Gasly selects highlight from Red Bull career
In terms of the highlights of his career with the Red Bull stable, Gasly particularly remembers the moment that he found out he would be racing in F1 for the first time. The driver made his debut for Toro Rosso at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, where he replaced Daniil Kvyat. He went on to earn a full-time seat with the team in 2018. "Obviously, the win is definitely coming first [as a highlight]. I would say my first race as well in Malaysia," Gasly explained. "You only get one first, and this was very special because I didn't expect it. I still remember Helmut [Marko] telling me, 'Okay, you're not going to be reserve driver, but you're racing for Toro Rosso this weekend'. "I was jumping on my bed in Malaysia. God knows which hotel I was in, but it wasn't so great!" As well as reflecting fondly on the podiums that he achieved in recent years and the relationships that he has built within the team, Gasly also feels that his time at Red Bull has given him a clear direction for the future. "My time at Red Bull has been also very useful in understanding, as a driver, what I need," he commented. "I have much clearer ideas of what I want as a driver. I [arrived] there very fresh, without clear mindsets and clear direction [of] what kind of driver I am, and what I need. "Now I know that. I know my driving style, and I know how to operate at my best. I think I've learned a lot over the past five years, but definitely, you always relate good results with [the] best memories."
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