“You really need Uncle Marko”– Former F1 driver thinks Pierre Gasly has been “f****d” by Red Bull, Marko

Dutch former F1 driver Christijan Albers thinks that Pierre Gasly has been let down by the Milton Keynes-based team and points explicitly out Helmut Marko.

Ever since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure from the team at the end of 2018, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has had three teammates sit in the car beside him.

The first to compete alongside Verstappen was Pierre Gasly, who only lasted in that seat for 12 races. Next up was Alex Albon, who got a season and a half. Now we finally half Mexican Sergio Perez, whose contract has been renewed for another year.

Gasly has been quite vocal about how he feels being made to stay back in the sister team Alpha Tauri despite giving what he thinks are strong performances. He recently commented on being left out of Red Bull in 2022 as well.

Also read: Franz Tost confident about pairing of impressive Pierre Gasly and struggling Yuki Tsunoda in 2022

“I felt based on this year I could have deserved a better chance, but that is the decision, it doesn’t stop my motivation,” said Gasly. The Dutch driver Christijan Albers who drove for the Spyker team in 2007, feels that Red Bull and Helmut Marko are mistreating Gasly. 

Speaking to De Telegraaf Podcast, the former driver said: “The problem is just, you have these stranglehold contracts from Red Bull. The only one who doesn’t have a contract like that is Max Verstappen, but the rest just have a serious problem.” 

“It’s not like you can decide to go somewhere else. Then you really need Uncle Marko.”

“If I’m going to look at Gasly’s performance that he’s constantly producing, but also look at life outside Formula 1, you can see that frustration that he feels f****d by Red Bull, with all due respect.”

Also read: Pierre Gasly is frustrated with Red Bull not rewarding him for his exceptional performances with inferior car

It’s not just Gasly who’s been poorly treated by Red Bull

Albers recounted the story of Daniil Kvyat and his days in the primary Red Bull team. “I think it is really disrespectful how they have treated drivers,” the Dutchman continued.

Daniil Kvyat finished on the podium in the Chinese Grand Prix and was booted out of the team after the very next crash-filled Russian GP. This was when Max Verstappen made his debut for Red Bull.

“That a man is on the podium and will be kicked out the next race,” he said. “Let’s be honest, that doesn’t make any sense at all. That’s Helmut Marko, but they did learn from it.” 

“They stopped putting pressure on Alexander Albon, they didn’t try to put pressure on Perez, so they’re learning from their mistakes. It was really the old-fashioned, Austrian way of Dr Marko though.”

One person who does not have to face such treatment from Marko is Max Verstappen, as Albers feels that would create problems for the team with Jos, Max’s father. “I can tell you one thing, they can’t do that to Max. They then have a problem with Jos,”

“In the beginning, you could see that Marko wanted to give a tap every now and then when Max came to Red Bull in the first year. Now you can see that he doesn’t dare anymore, those days are really over.”