F1 News
"I've been in Gasly's position up against Schumacher and Hakkinen as teammates"
- Nicolás Quarles van Ufford
With pressure building on the position on Red Bull Racing's Pierre Gasly, Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle has likened the Frenchman's situation to his own back in his racing days when he was teammates of F1 greats Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen.
Brundle was teamed up with a young Schumacher in 1992 at Benetton, and two years later, with a relatively young Hakkinen at McLaren for the 1994 season. Brundle never outqualified Schumacher but made up for it with some good driving during the races themselves, but Schumacher was the clear star of the team.
In 1994, Brundle took the empty seat at McLaren which was originally meant for retiring champion Alain Prost. After a bad season all-round for McLaren, Brundle was replaced by Nigel Mansell.
When the British veteran looks at Gasly's current situation at Red Bull, he sees similarities.
"Max Verstappen drove yet another fine if lonely race for Red Bull. They are tantalisingly close to the pace but not close enough to add to our entertainment much," he wrote in his column.
"At some point, Verstappen is going to lose patience, but probably not before Red Bull lose theirs with an underperforming Pierre Gasly in the other car.
"I've been in Pierre's position up against Schumacher and Hakkinen as team-mates. It's confidence-sapping and nothing seems to fall your way either, creating a spiral of lost confidence. I used to hit rock bottom and rebound nicely 'with nothing to lose' and so must he."
If Brundle's situation is anything to go by, it would mean Gasly would be replaced at the end of the season. However, the Frenchman's situation is quite different to Brundle's, although Red Bull are known to have little patience with underperforming drivers. Can Gasly find the pace we know he has in him?