Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko denies that Pierre Gasly's future is in jeopardy after another subdued performance from the Frenchman last weekend.
In France, Gasly was outqualified by teammate Max Verstappen for the seventh time in eight races.
And his home race was labeled a "frustrating" affair by Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner, with Gasly only securing a point thanks to a time penalty handed to Daniel Ricciardo.
Many believe the pressure is ramping up on the 23-year-old, with rumors even emerging on Sunday evening in France of a possible swap between Gasly and Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat after Marko was seen in conversation with the Russian's manager, Nicolas Todt
However, Marko was quick to dismiss such a turn of events.
"No, that's a false rumor," the Austrian told Motorsport-Magazin. "Last week it was Nico Hülkenberg, so now Daniil Kvyat is our replacement. I talk to a lot of people, I also talked to his [Todt's] father Jean."
"He should be worried about his speed in France. But we plan to end the season with Gasly."
In his post-race comments at Paul Ricard, Gasly alluded to a possible technical issue on his RB15 as a reason for his under-performance, a hypothesis Marko accepted.
"That's why we are now examining the car to the last detail, we will completely disassemble it before Spielberg," said Marko.
"It will be checked in absolutely all points."
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Pirelli Dario Marrafuschi – Pirelli Motorsport Director 'Firstly, I would like to congratulate Kimi…
Those who weren't watching Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix with their heart in their, weren't watching…
For Kimi Antonelli, victory at the Chinese Grand Prix was the moment a dream became…
The frustration boiling inside Max Verstappen finally spilled over in Shanghai, where another bruising weekend…
The 2026 Chinese GP will go down in history for Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli who…
Under the afternoon sun and the roar of the grandstands at the Shanghai International Circuit,…