Pierre Gasly believes he can make a successful transition from Toro Rosso to Red Bull should he get the nod over the Carlos Sainz to replace Daniel Ricciardo.
The Frenchman has impressed on several occasions in his first full season, scoring three top-six finishes in Bahrain, Monaco and Hungary and achieving a best of fourth in the desert.
Following the surprise exit of the Australian and potential for disharmony should Sainz join Max Verstappen, many consider Gasly as the man that could well be called upon to keep the peace.
“Yes, I would like that but I’m not thinking about it too much,” Gasly told Spain’s Marca about a possible promotion.
“I am happy with my season so far at Toro Rosso, I’m happy to be here. At the moment, nothing is decided, I think.
“It’s a similar situation to Carlos. We’re both waiting to see what happens.”
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A possible concern for Gasly is his promotion could bare some similarities to the rise of Daniil Kvyat in 2015 as a young driver with plenty of potential but was possibly rushed into a top seat and paid the price.
“No. If I’m fast, I’ll have my chance,” the 22-year-old said. “I need to focus, make sure I’m fast and the rest will come.
“It depends how you see things. Look at Red Bull and all the drivers who did not reach the first team, or look at Verstappen, Vettel, Ricciardo and the others who were successful.”
Ultimately, Gasly won’t be too disheartened if he has to wait a year or two for the opportunity many expect him to one day have.
“It’s my first season in F1 and I’m 22, so I am happy to stay at Toro Rosso if they need me. But of course, I want to fight for the championship as soon as possible,” he added.