Gasly heading to Red Bull to be the best, not to 'destroy' Max

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Pierre Gasly will be heading from the junior to the senior bull pen next season where he'll join the fast and furious Max Verstappen, whom the Frenchman aims to beat but not 'destroy' by his own admittance.

Gasly has acquitted himself remarkably well in his maiden season of F1, having scored four top-ten finishes so far with Toro Rosso. In the process, he also obliterated team mate Brendon Hartley, making him the logical choice as Daniel Ricciardo's replacement at Red Bull.

Next season, Gasly will be sitting opposite Verstappen in the Milton Keynes-based outfit's garage, and given the Dutchman's current impressive track record against Ricciardo, who hasn't outqualified his team mate since Monaco nine races ago, it will be interesting to see how the two young chargers perform relative to each other.

Gasly has vowed to do his best, but wisely denied he would be out to crush Verstappen when asked by Ziggo Sport's Olav Mol if he wanted to "destroy" his future team mate.

"You always need the time to get used to everything, but hopefully I will be quick to work with the team and the car," Gasly said.

"I’ve known the team at Red Bull Racing for a while and at their request I have already been in the simulator and I hope to be at ease soon.

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"It’s not my wish to destroy Max. We are both drivers and of course I am going there to be the best.

"I want to be the best Formula 1 driver on the grid and he has the same desire."

While the question from Mol was perhaps a bit tongue-in-cheek, Gasly's answer was a sensible one. For had he replied that his ambition is indeed to "destroy" Verstappen - an unrealistic proposition - he likely wouldn't have done himself any favours.

However, a driver's first objective is to beat his team mate, and Gasly knows that his intrepid and blindingly fast colleague will force him to pull out all the stops next year, in every session, on every lap. Not to beat him, but just to keep up with 'maximim Max'.

"It’s nice to have someone next to you who is so fast, so you can bring out the best in each other, we’re going to experience great times," he added.

"Great" times or explosive times? Wait and see…

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.