Pierre Gasly’s eight-year journey as part of the Red Bull family will be over in just two races’ time; whether he takes part in both, though, is up to him.
The Frenchman is staggeringly just two penalty points away from a race ban, meaning he is actually at risk of missing the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
His time with the Austrians has been an eventful one, which has seen him rise through GP2 as champion in 2016 before coming second in Super Formula in 2017 (he missed the last two rounds after being brought into Toro Rosso for the end of the 2017 season).
Whilst he ultimately failed to deliver in his short spell in the Red Bull side, he has by far been the most successful driver for the team’s sister side, AlphaTauri.
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Gasly will be remembered at Faenza for his victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, which was the team’s first since Sebastian Vettel’s maiden victory at the same venue in 2008.
The 26-year-old also claimed podiums at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix and the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, during his five-year period with AlphaTauri.
So, what will Gasly miss most about being a Red Bull athlete and part of the Red Bull family? One that he hailed as being “bigger” than anyone realises.
“What people will see is mainly what goes on in the paddock and around Formula 1 but Red Bull is so much bigger than that,” he told GiveMeSport.
“I’ve talked about it with a couple of friends – being part of Red Bull gives you access to so many industries and so many other sports and athletes.
“I’ve met hundreds of Red Bull athletes from different sports and the experience and the knowledge you get from that is priceless.
“I’m going to miss the adventures and activities; I’ve flown acrobatic planes, I’ve been skydiving, I’ve been surfing in Australia, I’ve done stuff which I’ll be talking about for my entire life.
Red Bull is arguably one of the biggest companies around the globe, with Gasly having seen first-hand just how large the brand is.
The Alpine-bound driver is struggling to comprehend currently how emotional Abu Dhabi is going to be, with Red Bull’s sister team being his “second family”.
“It’s been nine years where, everywhere I go, I’m seen as a Red Bull athlete,” added Gasly.
“Red Bull have offices everywhere around the world.
“I would go to my physical preparation at the Red Bull Training Centre in California at the start of every year. I go to Red Bull America and they welcome me and look after me.
I go to Red Bull Japan and they are there for us – you find your feet basically anywhere in the world being inside Red Bull and that’s definitely going to change and it’s going to be missed.
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“Being in AlphaTauri, I call them my second family. They gave me my chance in F1 and I’ve been working with these guys for several years.
“They know me and know everything about me and my personality and the way I work. It’s just very natural working with them.
“It hasn’t hit me yet but for sure Abu Dhabi is going to be emotionally charged knowing that I’m not going to be with them anymore. But I know in my life, these are times that I will remember with great, great memories.”