F1 pundits have singled out Pierre Gasly as the man most likely to replace Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull Racing. And if called upon, the Frenchman is ready for the opportunity.
Gasly has been impressive from the outset this season, delivering to Toro Rosso all of its points-scoring results, including a sixth-place finish just before the summer break in Hungary.
While there is no disputing the 22-year-old's talent, for Red Bull's plum drive, he'll still have to contend with the no less gifted but vastly more experienced Carlos Sainz.
"Yes, I would like that but I'm not thinking about it too much," Gasly told Marca, speaking about his possible promotion to the senior bull outfit.
"I am happy with my season so far at Toro Rosso, I'm happy to be here. At the moment, nothing is decided, I think.
"It's a similar situation to Carlos. We're both waiting to see what happens."
In Red Bull's recent past, Daniil Kvyat paid a heavy price for moving from Faenza to Milton Keynes, and failing to perform. However, Gasly is confident he can avoid the fate that befell the Russian driver.
"No. If I'm fast, I'll have my chance," he insisted.
"I need to focus, make sure I'm fast and the rest will come.
"It depends how you see things. Look at Red Bull and all the drivers who did not reach the first team, or look at Verstappen, Vettel, Ricciardo and the others who were successful."
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Should Gasly remain with Toro Rosso for another year, he would happy if the team kept current team mate Brendon Hartley on-board.
"Brendon is pretty fast and doesn't make it easy for me," Gasly said.
"I don't care what teammate I have next season, because if I want to be the best, I have to fight against the best.
"It's my first season in F1 and I'm 22, so I am happy to stay at Toro Rosso if they need me. But of course I want to fight for the championship as soon as possible," he added.
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