Comparing Pierre Gasly’s performance with that of Max Verstappen in 2019 would be ‘unfair’ says Red Bull team boss Christian Horner who also predicted “big things” for the Frenchman.
Gasly got his dream promotion to the senior outfit after Daniel Ricciardo decided to switch to Renault from next season.
But the learning curve will be a steep one for the youngster, considering he is relatively new to the series.
However, Horner is confident Gasly is up to the task, based on his performance this year. He believes the Frenchman is the right fit for Red Bull even if cannot beat Verstappen right away.
Speaking with Motorsport, Horner said: “I think it will be a challenge for Pierre but one that he’s up for,”
“He’s come through the same programme as Max and he’s here because we believe he’s the best upcoming talent and he deserves that opportunity in the car. So we’re expecting big things from Pierre next year.”
When asked if Gasly will be able to match with Verstappen from the season start, Horner said: “I think it would be unfair to expect him to be immediately challenging Max. I think you got to give him time to settle into the team.”
Gasly’s task has gotten even bigger because Verstappen has recently found his form this season, he added.
“I think Max has hit a very rich vein of form and he’s one of the most outstanding talents in Formula 1 at the moment,” added Horner.
“Obviously Daniel has struggled in qualifying against Max this year, but their race pace has been very comparative. Next year we need to give Pierre time, but I think that he has great ability.
“He’s only one year into F1, but he’s put some great drives in. If you look at Bahrain, Monaco and Hungary in particular, he has had a number of standout races.”
