Hungarian Grand Prix was the turning point for Gasly decision
F1 News
It has been almost a week since Red Bull made the announcement that Pierre Gasly would be replaced by Alex Albon for the rest of the season. Helmut Marko has now suggested that the Frenchman's performance in Hungary was potentially what determined his future.
Gasly will drop down to Toro Rosso from the Belgian Grand Prix with Albon joining Red Bull for the remainder of the season despite Gasly being expected to keep his seat for the remainder of the season. The change will now determine who will race for them in 2020 alongside Max Verstappen.
Gasly finished a lap down on the rest of the top teams in Hungary and behind Carlos Sainz and this proved to be the breaking point. In an interview with AutoSport Web Marko suggested that was the case, saying: "You can say that.
"Not only did he fall behind at the start, but he struggled to make a move on Sainz, let alone pass him. This was despite Pierre’s pace being much better than Sainz. He eventually finished a lap down from the front."
Marko also admitted he felt it was a mental issue for Gasly. When asked if he felt it was a mental thing, he added: "I believe so. Pierre up until last season was quick over one lap, and didn’t hesitate to overtake during the race. But he hasn’t performed like that this season."