“It’s not easy”: Pierre Gasly comments on Max Verstappen’s teammate’s complicated situation 

Yuki Tsunoda's first half-season in the Red Bull senior team has been far from the fairy tale he might have hoped for, and watching from the outside, Pierre Gasly knows exactly how that feels.

The Japanese driver was promoted from Racing Bulls after just two poor weekends for Liam Lawson, a decision many saw as a knee-jerk reaction from the Milton Keynes outfit. He began brightly, taking P5 in qualifying in Australia and reaching Q3 in three of his first four races. But the optimism faded fast.

A Q1 crash in Imola proved the turning point. Since then, Tsunoda has not finished in the points, with qualifying pace also deserting him. In Spain, he started dead last; in Hungary, he was knocked out in Q1 again. Seven races without a single point now mark the longest pointless streak for a Red Bull driver without a DNF.

Gasly, who endured his own brief and turbulent stint alongside Max Verstappen in 2019, offered his thoughts in an interview with Racing News 365 and said:

"What's tricky is my time, a lot of things can't be said, because you're a driver, you're working for a team, and as a professional, you can't share all the information on the specific situations. Talking with Yuki, I know some stuff that can't be said, and it's not easy. It's not easy to be in this situation."

Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda were teammates at AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls), and their close friendship has carried over into their separate careers. He understands the dynamics at Red Bull well. The second seat alongside Verstappen has been a revolving door - himself, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Daniel Ricciardo, Liam Lawson, and now Tsunoda - with each struggling to match the Dutchman's unique style.

Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly before the F1 Grand Prix of China. Source: Getty

Gasly was dropped mid-season after 12 races, despite nine points finishes, and knows that adapting to a car tailored around Verstappen is a monumental task.

"You try to do what’s best for the team, and sometimes you get given something to make it work, and sometimes you're in a situation where, for different reasons, it can't quite work the way you like… So, knowing from experience, I just try to chat as a friend and just advise on stuff that may help him," he added.

For Yuki Tsunoda, the advice might help, but the numbers remain stark with seven points from 12 races, all in the opening five rounds.

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Pierre Gasly's own year with Alpine mirrors Tsunoda's

Pierre Gasly ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium. Source: Getty

While Yuki Tsunoda's struggles have dominated headlines, Pierre Gasly has quietly been carrying Alpine's season on his own shoulders. The French team sits at the very bottom of the constructors' standings with just 20 points, and he has scored every single one of them.

Rookie Jack Doohan started the year before being replaced by Franco Colapinto, who has also found the car a handful to deal with. Hungary was a reminder of the challenge. Starting 17th, with Colapinto in 14th, they knew overtaking at Hungaroring would be tough. A potential wildcard in the form of rain never materialised, and even splitting strategies with Gasly on a one-stop and Colapinto on two didn't help.

Gasly's afternoon got worse when he tangled with Carlos Sainz in a fight for P15, earning a 10-second time penalty. He finished 17th, but the penalty dropped him 19th, one spot behind Colapinto. For now, Pierre Gasly's season is defined by making the most out of Alpine's A525 with fundamental weaknesses, much like Tsunoda is trying to do at Red Bull.