Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso, Baku City Circuit, 2018

“I was in my underwear!”: Gasly reveals how he was offered Red Bull drive

2018 F1 season

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Pierre Gasly has described the moment Red Bull motorsport director Helmut Marko called to offer him a drive at the team in 2019.

The Toro Rosso driver had been informed earlier in the summer break of Daniel Ricciardo’s decision to leave Red Bull. Gasly was on holiday in Greece when Marko called.

“When Helmut started the call with me I was in my underwear,” Gasly told Red Bull’s website. “When the call ended I ran around the house shouting to my mates and they all jumped in the pool straight away!

“There was so much excitement and I was so happy about it because it’s something I’ve wanted for a long time. Of course when I came in to the Red Bull Junior programme that was the target, to drive in Formula 1 for this Team, so I was just so so happy and had so much excitement.”

Gasly already has a relationship with Honda, whose engines Red Bull will use for the first time next year.

“Working with Honda for the past two years certainly helps,” he said. “When I came to Super Formula we started to build up the relationship with them at that time.

“Then when I switched to Toro Rosso it was pretty good that Honda started the relationship with the team at the same time as me.

“Now next year Honda start with Red Bull, making the switch with me, it’s like I follow them with their next steps so it’s pretty cool.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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11 comments on ““I was in my underwear!”: Gasly reveals how he was offered Red Bull drive”

  1. Another Kvyat’ed career incoming.

    1. And, as with Kvyat, wouldn’t even have existed without Red Bull.

      All about perspective.

  2. I saw Pierre at the Sama Sama in Sepang just an hour after he got the call up to Toro Rosso- I said hello, brief chat but didn’t ask him about “getting the seat”- a bit old a question. But could tell he was happy, then worked out why.

    Then we went through the foyer to have a beer at the bar and he doing a French radio interview on his phone and Charles Leclerc was close by, being so excited for his mate (at that stage he didn’t know he had the Sauber drive), and a few other F2 drivers there as well to enjoy with their mate.

    I said to my mates (including my father in law that is hopeless in F1) “We just saw history, Gasly has entered F1 and Charles not far behind”. It was pretty cool really, seeing these young guys (half my age) start to work out the ARE F1 divers. Good speed next year!!

  3. Hope Gasly kicks Max’s gluteus maximus!

    1. That would be extremely embarrassing for Ricciardo then

  4. I can hear Helmet in German accent “Vat ar you vearing right nau”? lol

    1. Are you nekkid? Gut. Here it comez.

  5. I’m trying not to think of Pierre in his underwear . . .

  6. Jonathan Mostert
    23rd August 2018, 17:57

    Pierry Gasly in his underwear. I would love to see that. Are there any pics made during the call or after that?

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