Gasly ready to take on the role of AlphaTauri team leader in 2021

AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly has said he is prepared to step into the role of the team’s lead driver for the 2021 F1 season as he gears up to partner rookie Yuki Tsunoda at the Italian outfit following the departure of Daniil Kvyat.

Gasly said while the arrival of the Japanese driver, who was promoted from within the Red Bull junior ranks after finishing third in F2 last year, would not change his driving style, he is ready to offer all the help and guidance that he can.

“Of course, Yuki’s arrival means I will have more responsibility within the team and I’m ready to take on the role of team leader. However, he is a very quick driver and he will help us move the team forward,” he said.

“I know Yuki, he is a competitive guy and showed what he can do in F2, that’s why he was promoted to F1 after just one year. We will work together to achieve that. He lacks experience, so it won’t always be easy for him, but I think he is talented and it will also be up to me and the team to lead the way.”

The Frenchman also said he would like to see the team fight more often towards the front of a competitive midfield given the progress they showed last year, with the highlight being his maiden Grand Prix victory at Monza.

"The car did seem pretty good (last year). Where we are in the mid-field, all the teams made a lot of progress and the gaps are very small. We finished seventh in the championship, but there were times when we were fighting to be the fourth or fifth best car in the field," he said.

"We were fighting some very good teams that have big budgets and a lot of experience. Last year, we had a car that allowed us to fight with them and I got through to Q3 quite often. This year I hope we can make a step up, that will allow us to be nearer the front of the midfield."