Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has again tried to play down the prospect of Pierre Gasly simply playing a support role to Max Verstappen in 2019.
Following Daniel Ricciardo’s exit at the end of last season, there is a feeling that Red Bull will start to throw much of their effort behind the Dutchman as he continues to grow and show the potential of a future world champion.
In fact, team boss Christian Horner has admitted that the increasing influence of Verstappen was likely a factor in the Australian’s decision to leave and that having Red Bull’s full backing is likely one of the 21-year-old’s ambitions.
“I think he can see the strength and depth of the team,” he told Autosport. “He feels comfortable in the team. He’s the youngest Grand Prix winner, he’s the youngest double winner, he’s the youngest points scorer.
“The obvious thing is to build a team around you but it’s down to us to provide him with a competitive car.”
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However, at a time when Ferrari and Mercedes have been putting increasing focus on a single driver, Marko insists following that trend is not what the team is about.
“He [Gasly] is not a number two driver,” Marko stated to Germany’s Auto Bild. “That is off limits at Red Bull.
“Max took the next step last season and Daniel Ricciardo noticed that but Max will give Gasly the time he needs, so my guess is that he’ll be closer to Max in qualifying.
“That is normal for a debutant in a top team. ”