By Joe Murphy
Should Lewis Hamilton return to the grid as expected, the all British line-up is a near-perfect scenario which could serve the constructor well. However, there is a slim chance that we don’t see him for the first race in a matter of months time. Moreover, with Formula 1 being, arguably, the most cut-throat sport to exist, the team. That has dominated the last eight years of the sport, must keep their options open.
Estaban Ocon may sound like the sensible option, with the Frenchman having history (and most likely, a future) with the team, but he is developing very nicely at Alpine and will continue to learn alongside Fernando Alonso next year. And whilst there would certainly be question marks over the readiness of Nyck de Vries and suspicions over the logic of Valtteri Bottas, the answer could be to delve into the Red Bull ranks.
Pierre Gasly is now an experienced driver in the sport, despite his relatively young age. He has, particularly over the last two seasons, matured into a composed and masterful racer who has earned his plaudits, whilst simultaneously proving his critics wrong. After a miserable first spell with Red Bull, which lasted only a matter of months, Gasly went back to Alpha Tauri where he went on to achieve three podiums, including that most famous win in Monza, during the 2020 Italian Grand Prix.
The Frenchman had a point to prove, and he did just that. Many feel Christian Horner acted prematurely in making the switch to Alex Albon. And it is true, the last couple of seasons have felt like a story of redemption for car number 10. Last season, in fact, was the Frenchman’s best to date.
That being said, he is surely ready for a move back to a so-called ‘big team’, where he will be ready to challenge for podiums and race wins, more regularly. Naturally, your first thought may be that this is back to Red Bull, but I wouldn’t be so sure.
Max Verstappen is about as safe in his seat as any driver on the grid. This means that Red Bull, only had one seat space available. Sergio Perez had a successful first season with the team in 2021, only really coming up short in winning the Constructor’s Championship, of which he helped the team get closer to Mercedes.
Should the Mexican leave or retire at the end of 2022, then the next choice for the Charging Bulls will be, rightly or wrongly, Alex Albon. Albon has another year on the grid thanks to Williams and can home his craft again with an eye on returning to the energy drink brand in the next year or two. Therefore, there is no room for Gasly. Especially if you consider the possibilities in the driver market that could result in Carlos Sainz or Yuki Tsunoda making surprise moves to the team in due course, should their current spells at their respective teams, not work out.
Therefore, Mercedes could steal the talented young driver from right under their arch rival’s noses. Gasly will surely be up for the challenge too, with there being no way he could turn down the move to a championship contender.
The only obstacle would be what happens to that Alpha Tauri seat? Well, if Mercedes wanted to negotiate, they could get some F1 experience for Nyck de Vries if they wanted to make some sort of loan-style trade. If Red Bull wanted, they could line up another of their young drivers from the academy, or give someone like Nico Hulkenberg an invitation to return to the sport.
Pierre Gasly, therefore, certainly has the ability to start this season alongside George Russell. Hopefully for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton stays on for another couple of years, the constructor will definitely be hoping so. However, should they need a driver to replace those big shoes, then the answer could be to steal that man from right under their nearest challengers noses. Whilst many may feel that Ocon to Mercedes will be followed by Gasly moving to the French outfit, Wheel2Wheel feels that the other Frenchman would be an even better fit, and an even bigger scoop.
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