Preview of Formula 1 in 2021: All or not for Gasly in 2021

In Formula 1, your most important opponent is your teammate and so at GPblog, we look ahead to the team duels in 2021. Which drivers will compete and what can we expect from that duel? In the fourth part, we go through the AlphaTauri line-up.

Pierre Gasly

He is just 25 years old but has already had a rollercoaster ride in Formula 1. Pierre Gasly made his debut in 2017 at the end of the season for Toro Rosso and finally got his chance in F1 in 2018. He had already won the GP2 title and was close to a title in the Super Formula before convincing Helmut Marko.

Then it went quickly because after a year he had to make his appearance at Red Bull Racing as a replacement for Daniel Ricciardo. That turned out to be too early. Gasly was busy with too many things at once and went under. At Toro Rosso and later AlphaTauri he recovered and took the lead.

Those properties were mentioned a lot last winter and were the main reason for the renewal of his contract. Gasly was no longer eligible for Red Bull, but he can now show himself as the leader of AlphaTauri. However, the test that awaits him in 2021 will be quite a challenge.

Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda hasn't won a title since he started racing in Europe, but the Japanese driver is coming to F1 with sky-high hopes. He may not have won titles, but for someone who has had to leave Asia for Europe at a young age, he adapts very quickly. He also occasionally showed that he was very fast.

In 2019 and 2020 we often saw a glimpse of the speed that Yuki has. He is often the fastest in practice, but he does not always manage to achieve that consistently in qualifying and the race. This continued to improve in 2020, eventually finishing third in the standings, making him the best "Rookie".

So much is expected from Yuki, who has been given plenty of testing opportunities in old Toro Rosso cars in preparation for 2021. Tsunoda has a strong opponent with Gasly at AlphaTauri, but not an impossible challenge. If Tsunoda shows that he is faster, it could be the end for Gasly and Marko will not wait long to promote Tsunoda to Red Bull Racing.

The forecast for 2021

Ever since it was founded, the match at AlphaTauri / Toro Rosso has always been interesting. The two drivers compete for their place in F1, but mainly also for a place at Red Bull Racing. If you win the duel at AlphaTauri, there is an opportunity to drive for a top team in F1. If you lose the game, it can also mean the end of your career in no time.

Gasly is expected to win the battle against Tsunoda in 2021. If he is just as dominant as in the duel with Daniil Kvyat, a switch to Red Bull Racing beckons. However, if Yuki gets even too close, Gasly will be in trouble.

Gasly may be the expected winner for 2021, but looking at Tsunoda's past performance, we can conclude that he is learning very quickly. Give this Japanese man two years, and you will probably have a better driver than Gasly, who will realise that he will never get another chance at Red Bull Racing.

This article was written and originally published by Tim on the Dutch edition of GPblog.com.