in the aftermath of the two days of testing in Abu Dhabi, the captivating Ferrari pairing of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc partnership for 2019 has grabbed most of the headlines, but the stage is also set for Max Verstappen versus Pierre Gasly at Red Bull - a contest with more volatile ingredients for Formula 1 fans to look forward to.
Much has been made of the meaningless fact that Leclerc was three tenths faster than his four-time F1 World Champion teammate managed during the final two days of testing in Abu Dhabi this week.
If you count the unreliable times that testing tends to deliver, then it should be said that Gasly in his first outing with his new team was quicker than his Dutch teammate.
The Frenchman ending his time in the RB14 with a lap time of 1:37.916, a mere 0.31 of a second faster than Verstappen's best effort in the same car, a day earlier. It should also be noted that car #33 was un Pirelli Ultrasofts, while the #10 car ran on rubber which Pirelli labelled Compound 5.
Factor into that the multitude of setup and mode options each car could be running and it becomes clear that extracting meaning from those two days is pointless, but does suggest a tight match between the pair is on the cards.
The dynamics of the pairing is interesting, Verstappen, at 21, has established himself as a superstar of the sport, regarded among the top three drivers on the grid, and a multiple F1 winner already with 81 grand prix starts on his CV.
In contrast, Gasly, a year older, has only 26 starts on his record and has yet to visit the podium. His first year in the top flight was solid if not stellar, but he will realise fast that Brendon Hartley was a pushover compared to what he will find when he goes head-to-head with Verstappen.
There were flashes of brilliance from Gasly in his rookie season, but also questionable moments. However, the 22-year-old did enough to convince Red Bull that he was ready to step up to the main team and we thus have another intriguing teammate pairing that is sure to many grab headlines as it evolves.
Both lads are highly volatile, Verstappen's ruthless style is well known, while he has a habit of wearing his heart on his sleeve and as we recently witnessed, he is not averse to some old-fashioned argy-bargy with rivals.
Gasly has the red mist malady that appears to overcome the trio of current French F1 drivers when on track. He also wears his heart on his sleeve, his mouth too often his worst enemy and reason why some years ago he was not promoted to Toro Rosso when everyone thought he was a sure bet for 2017. Daniil Kvyat got the drive instead, while Gasly was farmed out the Japan Super Formula.
Verstappen and Carlos Sainz endured a tense and unruly partnership during their rookie season together with Toro Rosso, apparently so much so that Red Bull management wanted to avoid a repeat scenario next year, hence releasing the former to McLaren.
Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo had their moments (Baku springs to mind) but all-in-all it was as good a partnership a team could wish for with two competitive drivers in the same garage.
In promoting Gasly, Red Bull might find that they have inadvertently unleashed a more ominous beast to manage next season.
The Frenchman has made it quite clear what he is targeting, "My long-term target is to be the best in the sport and if I want to be the best I will have to fight against the best. I think Max is one of the best drivers on the grid at the moment, so I take it as an amazing opportunity to drive next to him."
On his part, Verstappen was generous welcoming Gasly to the team and recalled, "It was my first international season in go-karting and I think it was Pierre’s second. We were racing against each other the whole season and we had a few good battles."
"At the time we were not talking a lot, I think Pierre was not that good at English and neither was I. You’re 12 years old, so it’s a bit different."
"Then, throughout the years you always stay in contact; your paths cross again through the other series. Then he ended up in the Red Bull programme. He’s a very fast driver but also a very nice guy to be with and that’s important," added Verstappen.
Nevertheless, the fireworks are in place and primed for when they go for it balls out in qualifying for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, on 16 March 2019 - the fuse will be lit...
For Formula 1 fans this Max-vs-Pierre sideshow is sure to be as enthralling and action-packed as the Seb-vs-Charlie contest in the red garage, if not more so. Watch this space!
https://www.grandprix247.com/2016/09/12/gasly-people-claimed-i-said-things-i-never-said/
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