Carlos Sainz’s confirmation changes nothing for Pierre Gasly
The confirmation of Carlos Sainz at Toro Rosso for 2017 means that there is only one place left in the Red Bull fold. But that remains the goal for Frenchman Pierre Gasly.
When it was announced that Pierre Gasly would join Prema for his second season in GP2, his objective was clearly to aim for the title in order to position himself as best as possible to aim for a full-time seat at Red Bull or Toro Rosso in 2017.
Since then, the energy drink company decided to revise its lineup between its two teams, then confirmed Carlos Sainz in his roles: « It’s certain that this is where I want to be in 2017. But afterward, I know that it will be my performances this year that will decide yes or no. So I prefer to focus on what I’m doing here with my team. »
The young Frenchman therefore knows that his own performances on the track will make the difference when it comes to Helmut Marko’s decisions. However, he hasn’t had an ideal start to the season, with a few missed opportunities to finally clinch his first victory in the category: « *Avec tous les points manqués, comme à Monaco, en première course à Bakou ou encore ici en Autriche, trop penser à mon classement actuel me donnerait plus de frustration qu’autre chose. Pour l’instant, je préfère donc me concentrer course par course et on fera les comptes à la fin.* »
One of the difficulties he must face is managing the Pirelli tires, which have a limited lifespan: « In GP2, tire management is very important, and in the race, it makes all the difference. It’s not my strong suit. I tend to wear them out, and by the end of the races, I find myself in trouble. At this level, every detail makes the difference because we are all good and we all know how to go fast. But it’s a matter of time. »
This season, he is also adapting to a new culture as he has moved to the Italian team Prema after a season with the French Dams team: « It’s true that it’s not the same working method, even if there are similarities. For Italians, motorsports are everything; they are like fanatics. You can feel it from the first to the last mechanic, including the engineers. It helps a lot. »
This adaptation could prove very useful if he moved to Toro Rosso, whose headquarters are also located in Italy.
With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr
