Red Bull brand Gasly performances 'unacceptable' and Austria could decide his fate

Pierre Gasly's recent performances have been branded "simply unacceptable" by Red Bull motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko.

Pressure is mounting on the Frenchman's shoulders as he struggles to adapt to life at Red Bull following his promotion to replace Daniel Ricciardo.

His poor performance has been highlighted by Max Verstappen's sensational form in the sister Red Bull, although Verstappen's efforts have only yielded two podiums thus far, and reports have begun to emerge that he could depart the team if they do not improve.

Gasly's fate could be all the more urgent, however, with this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix potentially a pivotal moment in his career.

"Being a teammate of Max Verstappen is not easy: Max is an exceptional talent," Marko told the Austrian Press Agency. "But Gasly's performance and the speed that he is showing are simply unacceptable.

"The last two races, the Grands Prix of Canada and France, were far below par. The gap between Pierre and Max was too big."

Gasly finished eighth in Canada and only took a point in France by dint of Daniel Ricciardo's double penalty post-race.

Marko revealed that Gasly's car will be forensically examined following the Austrian GP. Reports have suggested that the Frenchman will be on borrowed time if not defects are found.

"It's up to us to give Gasly a feel for the car and to make sure he has confidence in it," Marko added.

"But we also have to keep in mind that we cannot deviate too far from our car's strengths.

"Finally, we will also thoroughly inspect the chassis of his RB15. Maybe something is wrong, but we don't know that yet. If we were to find something, then that is of course good news."

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

When is the next F1 race? British Grand Prix schedule and details for 2026

• 29 minutes ago

F1 Austrian Grand Prix 2026 results: Final classification after late penalties applied

• 1 hour ago

Ferrari 'dice roll' cost Lewis Hamilton at Austrian Grand Prix

• 2 hours ago

George Russell battled failure in Mercedes F1 car during Austrian GP victory

• 3 hours ago

F1 News Today: Mercedes in FIA breach at Austrian GP as Verstappen gives Russell the finger

• Today 19:00

Max Verstappen plans two-month sabbatical after Austrian Grand Prix crash

• Today 18:55