Pierre Gasly’s year in the Super Formula could be key to a successful Formula 1 career.
Gasly moved to the Super Formula after securing the GP2 title in 2016. He took two victories in the Japanese series and missed out on the championship by just half a point to Hiroaki Ishiura.
He admitted he was disappointed not to be making the jump from GP2 to F1, but the Red Bull driver believes the extra year of preparation helped him psychologically.
“In a way, it made me much stronger mentally than I was in the past,” he told Autosport.
“For me, there are no bad experiences. You always learn something from it, if it’s good or bad, there always things to take with you.
“It’s been a long trip but with a lot of good experiences, and useful for me.”
Being stronger mentally is just one more reason why Gasly will be Toro Rosso’s greatest asset next season.
The mental capabilities of young drivers has come under scrutiny after Daniil Kvyat cracked under pressure in 2017.
Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko claimed Kvyat was more talented than either of Toro Rosso’s current drivers, but psychological issues cut his F1 career short.
Gasly wasn’t able to add to his title count in 2017, but the added mental strength could be vital to avoiding the same fate as Kvyat.
