Horner: Gasly promoted to Red Bull 'faster than we liked'

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Pierre Gasly is a lucky driver, not only because he'll be racing with Red Bull Racing in 2019, but also by virtue of the fact that he's joined the front-running team earlier than expected.

A convincing formative year with Toro Rosso coupled with Daniel Ricciardo's departure from Red Bull played straight into the hands of the 22-year-old Frenchman.

But the privilege of racing with a winning team will come with a few challenges for Gasly insists team boss Christian Horner.

Gasly has no chance of beating Verstappen, says former F1 driver

"Pierre is a very quick driver and it is up to us to give him a little bit of time to get up to speed," the team boss told Autosport.

"It is faster than we would have originally liked to elevate him into the team, so Max [Verstappen] will be very much taking on the role of the experienced senior driver and Pierre is going to have to go up against a very competitive team-mate."

Gasly has vowed not to race in Verstappen's shadow, and while Horner expects his new driver to become a top contender in the future, he's expecting Red Bull's new recruit to trail his team leader at the outset.

"It is not going to be easy. Of course it is not. But he knows what is expected of him," added Horner.

"And in actual fact, for the team, it is a far easier scenario than it has been in previous years.

"We have got a clear difference between the experience in the two drivers and the expectations."

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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.