Pierre Gasly believes that young drivers in Formula 1 need better guidance than he received in his early days. The Alpine driver states, “Nobody prepares you for the political games.”
Experience is the best teacher, even for a Formula 1 driver. For the handful of newcomers in the premier class this year, the now experienced Gasly has some advice. “Believe me, it’s very difficult when you’re a young rookie in Formula 1 and you’re trying to do it without a manager who can support, advise, and guide you, as I did back then. I was given a unique opportunity when they let me debut in Formula 1, but at the same time, nobody prepared me for the political games, for what goes on and can happen.”
Gasly continues, “Nobody taught me how to defend my interests: I was dropped all alone into a world that is extremely complex. But that also had an advantage: it made me grow up very quickly. You learn a lot from a little injustice. And I quickly realized that I needed to build a shell around myself, otherwise I wouldn’t survive.”
As Max Verstappen‘s teammate at Red Bull, Gasly struggled after his promotion from Toro Rosso. After being demoted back to the sister team, he bounced back and his performance has been improving ever since. “I made great sacrifices to get here. Just like my parents, who went to great financial lengths to give me the opportunity to realize my dream. That’s why it’s my duty to perform at my best, to get the most out of it and seize every opportunity. The rest doesn’t interest me. I always want to be at 100 percent of my ability, both physically and mentally.”
