Pierre Gasly says a "very good lunch" recently with Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko left him with a positive view on his and AlphaTauri's future.
Marko recently praised Gasly for his performances with the Faenza-based squad, claiming that this is the best he's seen from the Frenchman.
However, the man who can make or break a Red Bull driver's career, and indeed has in the past, made clear that a return to Milton Keynes wasn't on the cards for Gasly as Red Bull will in all likelihood confirm Sergio Perez for 2022.
But Marko's assertion, which he heard from the horse's mouth during a lunch in Austria, left the 25-year-old unfazed as the talk centered mainly around AlphaTauri's future prospects.
"We talked in Austria actually, we had a very good lunch together," Gasly explained.
"I think we talked about a lot of things, and it was really positive to understand a bit more about their view and their plans, and how they are seeing the future, because we are still contracted for some more time together.
"And yeah, we'll see what the future brings. I know they're really pleased with my performances and what I bring to the team.
"So that's what I need to keep focusing on, and we'll see what happens. But it was good to talk to him."
Unsurprisingly, Gasly believes that next year's regulation changes could allow AlphaTauri to improve its position in the pecking order.
But the same prospects apply to all F1 teams, while the Frenchman also admits that there's a chance his team could get its interpretation of next year's radical rules wrong.
"I think just looking at it in an objective way it can go either way," he said.
"If we are the one finding a special trick on the car, which will work very well, then potentially we can have even better results next year.
"At the same time we could miss something big on the car, and talking with the designers, it's extremely difficult.
"There are so many directions to start from, a brand new page, that it's very, very difficult to know where you're going to be. Or to be sure that you didn't miss anything at any point."
Gasly reckons that the sport's top teams will likely be in charge once again next season following the changes;
"Obviously the top teams, with the knowledge and the tools and the facilities they have, I think they have more chances to get it right.
"But nothing is guaranteed. And there could be some good surprises next year. We'll see what happens."
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