Stability the crucial factor for a successful season for Pierre Gasly

Anyone who has seen Pierre Gasly last year will wonder if it wouldn't have been better not to have Alexander Albon replace him in 2019. Or to give him a second chance at Red Bull Racing. On that first point, we can say that Red Bull missed the mark, but that by now stabbing him at AlphaTauri for a long time, they seem to have made the right choice.

Formula 1 drivers always benefit from stability, but some are more sensitive to it than others. From all indications, Gasly is the type of driver who needs to feel at home with a team in order to perform well. In fact, in interviews last year he even admitted that the pleasant atmosphere at the team from Faenza made him perform better.

Trust is key

That can be seen as a handicap, but some great champions of the past also needed a confidential environment to perform. Nigel Mansell, for example, simply quit as soon as he felt a team was no longer fully behind him.

However, it is not only on the basis of trust that Gasly should stay with the same team. Staying with AlphaTauri allows him to make his mark as a team leader for the first time in his career. Never before has he driven for the same team for two seasons in a row, and so he can really shape the car to his liking in the years to come.

Gasly needs a stable rear end

This is not entirely unimportant in Gasly's case, as the first half of the 2019 season has shown that his driving style is also quite susceptible to instability. Whereas Max Verstappen was often still able to disguise the unruly rear of the RB15, Gasly lacked total confidence when turning into corners.

Without having to deal with an all-decisive Adrian Newey and a teammate like Max Verstappen who is fast at everything, he can now work on a car that does exactly what he wants. A car that doesn't break out easily on turn-in. The only thing working against him in this case is the reduced downforce for the next few years. But fortunately that's about the same with every team.

Written by Pelle Gerritsen.