Horner hails 'stellar' Gasly performances

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has heaped praise on his new driver Pierre Gasly, who will replace Daniel Ricciardo in the team from next season, saying the young driver has put in some "stellar" performances this campaign which prove his "undoubted talent".

The month-long summer break in Formula One was certainly not a quiet one, with a flurry of surprising announcements setting the stage for the 2019 season. One of the more surprisingly stories was Ricciardo's decision to ditch Red Bull in favour of Renault after reportedly getting tired of playing second-fiddle to Max Verstappen.

Red Bull suddenly found themselves without a driver for next season, but they acted quickly to promote Gasly from their junior outfit, Toro Rosso.

Even though Carlos Sainz was allegedly a candidate, Horner's words suggest Gasly was right at the top of the list of desired drivers.

“Since Pierre first stepped into a F1 seat with Scuderia Toro Rosso less than a year ago he has proved the undoubted talent that Red Bull has nurtured since his early career,” Horner said.

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“His stellar performances this year at the Honda-powered team, in only his first full season, have only enhanced his reputation as one of the most exciting young drivers in motorsport and we look forward to Pierre bringing his speed, skill and attitude to the team in 2019.

“While our immediate focus remains fully on achieving our best result in the 2018 World Championship, we look forward to competing in 2019 with Max and Pierre at the wheel of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing.”

With nine races to go in the 2018 campaign, Gasly is currently in 13th place in the driver rankings, having accumulated 26 points so far.