Gasly: I'll give Verstappen the hardest time I can

Much is expected of the 22-year-old from Rouen as he steps up from Toro Rosso to the 'senior' team next year, there will be little room for error as many before him have found out and going up against a well-ensconced Max Verstappen sets the stage for hard graft as well as an interesting dynamic within the team.

Although he certainly does not lack confidence, Gasly knows what he is up against as he revealed to Sky Sports News, "I'm still only going to be in my second season of Formula 1 so there are still a lot of things to learn and I still need to develop myself.

"But I know I'm quick, I need to make the best out of my skills and my qualities but also work on all the areas I can improve.

Verstappen versus Gasly is one of several 'first beat your teammate' battles F1 fans already have on the menu in the top flight next year, some quietly predicting fireworks. Time will tell...

Of the man he will share a garage with, Gasly said, "We will see how it goes against Max. He is one of the most talented drivers at the moment. It's always good to be next to a competitive guy, and I'll give him the hardest time I can and then try to develop as much as possible as a driver. We'll see the result I get next year."

He arrives at Red Bull with one advantage, namely having a season with Honda power bolted to the back of his Toro Rosso, Verstappen only knows Renault power in F1.

Asked if he believes Honda have it to match Ferrari and Mercedes in the power stakes, he replied, "Pretty close. I really believe in this project and I can see how much work and dedication they are putting. I'm sure they are going to close it at some point."

"We just need to give them time but I'm sure with the experience of Red Bull, mixing these two really strong companies, they will come up with something really exciting for next year."

Going head-to-head with Verstappen means there is nowhere to hide for Gasly who acknowledged

Should the Red Bull-Honda package prove to be a regular contender for race victories then Gasly is aware that Verstappen will be at the sharp end of the field.

The Frenchman says his challenge will be to deliver the same level of performance.

"Red Bull showed at the end of the season they were fighting for victories - Max got one in Mexico and was probably going to get one in Brazil as well.

"So clearly the package works and next year we also need to see how it goes with Honda. But I think it'll be really interesting and if there is a winning car I'm sure he's going to be right at the top and it will be my job to make sure I'm right there as well."