(Motorsport) AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly will consider leaving the Red Bull stable after his contract expires in 2023. The French driver’s aspiration of racing for Red Bull was dealt with a major blow when Sergio Perez was offered a two year contract extension earlier this week. The 26 year old has raced alongside Max Verstappen in the past but was dropped midway through the 2019 season after a series of inconsistent results. 

Gasly is expected to hold talks with team advisor Helmut Marko and it would make sense for the driver to leave the Red Bull stable as it will give him the freedom to choose the team he wants to race with next. Ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Gasly said “At the moment, for sure, beyond 2023, I consider all options, as I don't have anything beyond that. So for now, we'll see. These are things we need to discuss with Helmut. Obviously they want to keep me, and they want to keep me in the programme. But as I say, we need to see how to make this work, and just normal conversations are ongoing." 

Speaking about the extension of Sergio Perez’s deal, Gasly said “To me, it's logical, it's not like it was a surprise because I'm a very objective person. And based on what they expect from the second driver, Perez ticks all the boxes. He is having an amazing season. He's performing very well this season. He's fast, some backing financially, good experience, and he's a good fit for the team. So it's not like it was a surprise at all for me. But obviously, on the other side, the impact it has on my career and with the ambitions that I have is obviously affected. So that's what we're discussing at the moment with Helmut, to obviously find what's best for all of us, and how do we go forward from there." 

The Mexican driver won his first Grand Prix this season in Monaco, reducing the gap to his teammate Max Verstappen to 15 points in the Drivers Standings. Perez has proven to be a reliable second driver for the team, more so than both Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon. Considering Ferrari and Charles Leclerc’s poor results recently, it would be no surprise if the title race is between the two Red Bull cars who also have the opportunity to win the Constructors Championship quite comfortably this season.

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