Red Bull team boss Christian Horner believes it will be “unfair” to draw comparisons immediately between Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen next season.
The young Frenchman faces arguably the toughest test Formula 1 currently has in stepping up alongside the man many consider the future face of the sport in the 21-year-old Dutchman as he replaces Renault-bound Daniel Ricciardo.
Gasly has produced a number of strong performances in his first full season, notably fourth in Bahrain, seventh in Monaco and sixth in Hungary, however, his future boss does think he will need time to adjust.
“I think it would be unfair to expect him to be immediately challenging Max,” Horner told Motorsport.com. “You got to give him time to settle into the team.
“I think Max has hit a very rich vein of form and he’s one of the most outstanding talents in F1 at the moment, obviously, Daniel has struggled in qualifying against Max this year, but their race pace has been very comparative.
“Next year we need to give Pierre time, but I think that he has great ability.”
Also Read:
- Ocon tips Leclerc & Gasly for success in 2019
- Gasly only interested in being the ‘best’, not fighting Verstappen
And that final point was maintained with Horner admitting that while expectations are perhaps tempered, that won’t be an excuse for Gasly.
“I think it will be a challenge for Pierre but one that he’s up for,”the Briton stated.
“He’s come through the same programme as Max, and he’s here because we believe he’s the best upcoming talent and he deserves that opportunity in the car.
“So we’re expecting big things from Pierre next year.”