Pierre Gasly saꦆys Red Bull asked him for feedback on Honda’s engine performance before making its final decision over the future direction o🔯f its Formula 1 power units. 

The Milton Keyn🍸es-based squad announced earlier this week that it will join forces with the Japanese engine manufacturer from the 2019 season, ending its 11-year relationship with Renault. 

Red Bull had been in talks with Honda - which began supplying engines to its B-team, Toro Rosso, at the start of the current campaign - having grown increasingly frustrated by the lack oღf performance from current suppliers Renault. 

“I didn’t push for it because I am not the one who takes the decision but of course they asked me for feedback since the beginning of the year about the engine,” Gasly said during the pre-race drivers’𝐆 press conference ahead of this weekend’s French Gran꧙d Prix. 

“I’ve tried to give them as p🐓recise as possible to help them in their decisions but I think it was much bigger talks behind it.”

Honda has shown promising signs of improvements with Toro Rosso in its bid to rebuild its F1 reputation following a disastrous three-year tenure with McLaren, with Gasly scoring the team’s best result🍸 of the season thanks to an impressive fourth place in Bahrain. 

The Japanese manufacturer provided the Faenza-based outfit with an upgraded-spec power unit in Canada, which Ga🍷sly believes ha✅s brought a positive performance step. 

“It’s a re🔴ally good step. I think in terms of performance it’💎s clearly a good help as we saw in Canada we were able to overtake other cars; Force India, Haas. I think it’s looking pretty good,” he explained.  

“I think it’s super♈ tight in the midfield. At the moment we still need to progress but I think we are improving in terms of consistency. I think clearly with the ꦗupgraded engine we have better chances to score points.”

Red Bull will now turn its attentions on persuading Daniel Ricciardo to remain at the quadruple world champions, with the out-of-contract Australian said to be attracting interest from Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren as he searches for𒀰 championship-winning machinery in order to challenge for a maiden Fꦜ1 title. 

But Gasly, who could be promoted to the se꧒nior team should Ricciardo leave, said he is remaining focused on ensuring he does a good job in his first full-season in the sport with Toro Rosso. 

“I think it’s pretty early in the season to talk about it. Of course, everyone is making speculations but at the moment t🃏here’s nothing really serious,” Gasly added. 

“Clearly, in Formula 1 you want t🍒o be fighting for the top positions and that’s what I want to be fighting for in my career and clearly my target as a Red Bull driver is to be in a Red Bull seat as quickly as possible.

“But at the moment I am only in my first season in Formula 1 so I just try to♍ focus on my job and know that if I do g𒅌ood races opportunities will come up and that the only thing I tried to focus on at the moment. 

“We will see what Daniel does and first I think it’s ꦐa bit too early, I just tr🍷y to focus on my performances and on myself to give my best.”