Pierre Gasly was the first in a wave of drivers to struggle at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen. The Frenchman was replaced halfway through his first Red Bull campaign, marking the beginning of an extended spell at the second team.

Since then, Gasly has managed to establish himself as Alpine’s main driver. In what has been a turbulent spell for the Enstone squad, the 29-year-old has been a rare source of stability.

Still, his time at Red Bull was Gasly’s only opportunity to compete in race-winning machinery. From his perspective, the Milton Keynes outfit failed to provide any support.

Pierre Gasly in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Sam Bloxham/LAT Images)
Gasly reflects on failed Red Bull stint

Isack Hadjar will be the next candidate to try and hold their own against Verstappen. The fresh set of regulations in 2026 are seen as a golden opportunity to give the youngster a chance of performing.

Moreover, with Laurent Mekies now team principal, Red Bull are expected to be more attentive to their second driver.

It should not be overlooked that Mekies was very confident in Tsunoda’s abilities – having spent a year working with the Japanese driver when he was in charge of VCARB.

In many ways, the 48-year-old arrived too late to give Tsunoda the support he needed. By the time he took the helm at Red Bull, the 25-year-old has completed half the season with old components that were significantly slower than Verstappen’s.

Of course, this is not the only example of a second driver struggling at Red Bull.

As Verstappen’s first teammate after Daniel Ricciardo’s exit, there was very little understanding when Gasly found himself so far adrift.

Since then, the narrative about the Frenchman’s Red Bull spell has become more forgiving. Regardless, it cannot be said the #10 car enjoyed its time at the senior team.

Speaking in a recent interview, Gasly detailed some of the problems he faced with the team:

“I’m not going to lie, it was sad,” he said on Off The Grid.

“2019, my second year in Formula 1 – there was no support from anywhere, in a very big team which is very much supporting Max [Verstappen]. For good reasons, because he’s put on the results.

“But I’m starting with a fresh engineer coming from Formula E, who didn’t have experience in F1. So it was a strange dynamic.

“I wasn’t really given the tools to really perform. I tried to fight my own way because I wanted – and at the end of the day I’m there to – perform.

“They were not happy, but I’m not happy too because I could see I couldn’t show my potential.”

Pierre Gasly in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Zak Mauger/LAT Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
Eyes on Alpine to deliver

The last twelve months have been difficult for Gasly to swallow, with Alpine finishing 2025 last in the standings. The 28-year-old was the only points scorer at Alpine this season, emphasising his importance at the team.

From Gasly’s perspective, the new regulations will determine Alpine’s true potential.

Having undergone many structural changes, 2026 is the first opportunity to see if they have paid dividends. The team’s switch to Mercedes engines, for example, was justified as the best chance to be competitive with the new regulations.

Because of this, there will be no excuse if the French squad fails to produce a strong car. Should they again languish at the back of the field, Gasly might be one of the drivers active in the market.

READ MORE: Why big teams will be vulnerable at the start of F1 2026

Main photo: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images (Red Bull Content Pool)