Ground Effect wrote: ↑30 Mar 2019, 21:52
This may not be a popular opinion, and I know it's still very early in the season. But it I feel it was a very wrong decision to release Carlos Sainz and promote Gasly ahead of him. I won't pretend to be a Red Bull fan, but it seemed more a political decision than performance. Carlos may not be a headline grabber, but he's very efficient and mature. He wanted the seat and I feel he deserved it.
He was very steady in Toro Rosso, and even though he wasn't happy, he still delivered important points and performances. Look at the struggles of Ricciardo integrating into Renault and compare with Carlos seamless adjustment at McLaren. They had an option on him, in the event a seat opened up in the senior team, but Marko lacks the temperament to make an unbiased decision. Since Carlos left, he's never bad mouthed them or taken shots at the team. Even when Marko made the McLaren at the back statement, he was very diplomatic with his response. Meanwhile, Christian is making assumptions that Gasly has more potential than Carlos, I don't know how results point to that. This isn't a dig at Gasly, because I believe he'll improve. But I don't think the decision was a sporting one.
Sainz screwed up his change as he and his father started talking to the spanish media ...sorry to say ... --- about Verstappen going to Ferrari, to force there way into a Red Bull.
I although agree with you that Gasly is way of pace and not anyway near Verstappen as in qualifying or pacewise.... if he can be good enough for that seat?
I personally doubt that too, but RB had no real other option, Ricciardo decides to go to Renault although RB gave him everything he asked for, Hartley wasn't good enough, so there was only one option: promote Gasly to RB to fill up the empty spot RIC left behind.
I guess following will happen:
give Gasly his chance
put Kvyat first back in TR, if Gasly fails, they promote Kvyat back to RB
because if they had taken Kvyat or Albon directly to RB... Gasly would be a, mildly said, a very unhappy guy.