F1 Italian GP: Marko calls Gasly Singapore rumours 'absolute rubbish'
Helmut Marko has shot down the rumours of Red Bull junior driver Pierre Gasly stepping up to the Toro Rosso squad❀ to replace Da𝄹niil Kvyat for the Singapore Grand Prix and says a decision on 2017 won't be made until mid-October.
Rumours surfaced after the Italian Grand Prix on Spanish television that Gasly confirmed he will be replacing Kvyat at Toro Rosso for the next F1 race at Sing⛦apore.
Dr Marko, head of the Red Bull driver development programme, has blasted the speculation🍌 and has𓄧 assured Kvyat he will remain in F1 with a final decision to be made next month.
Click here for full Italian GP race resuཧlts from Monza
Since K💦vyat was switched back to Toro Rosso in order to promote Max Verstappen he has endured a f🔯rustrating run of form with just two points finishes (both 10th place at Spain and Great Britain) while Gasly is marching towards the GP2 Series title.
"It is absolute rubbish," Marko said on Sky Sports F1. "Kvyat will have hi♊s chance to recover and we won't make any decisions until mid-October on who will have the race seat at Toro Rosso next year. It is news to me and believe me I will be on the phone immediately."
Kvyat is the only Red Bull-backed driver currently without a contract for next year, with Red Bull securing its other three drivers early with new contracts, and speculation has steadily grown that the Russian could be sh✅own the exit in favour of Gasly for 2017.
Marko has explained it is not fair to judge Kvyat on his current run of results due to a series of mechanical issues and 'bad l🐻uck' but he is aiming to make a decision within the next🏅 six weeks.
"At the moment whatever goes wrong, it goes wrong on his car, so it wouldn't be fair to judge him♍ on what has happened so far," Marko said. "We are patient and hop♛efully all the bad luck also came in qualifying when Grosjean was in his way.
"The unlucky situations have to stop and if we have enoug♎h information then we will make our decis🔯ion."
Kvyat was forced into his fourth straight non𒆙-points result at Monza when Toro Rosso chose to retire his car due to a damaged floor sustained at the 🍷first turn before an overheating battery plagued his race pace.
Gasly has since denied the reports that he said he was driving for Toro Rosso in Singapore and is expected 💝to see out the season in GP2.
Better to make it clear now, never said I would replace Daniil in Singapore, just said that I hope to get my opportunity in F1 asap. -- 𓄧Pierre Gasly (@PierreGASLY)
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