Sir Jackie Stewart has pledged to keenly observe French driver Pierre Gasly’s F1 journey.
The F1 veteran and three-time world champion, aged 84, engaged with Gasly prior to the US GP in Austin to admire the Alpine driver’s tribute helmet dedicated to the late Francois Cevert.
Cevert, who was once Stewart’s Tyrrell teammate, tragically met his end in a severe accident during the 1973 US GP at Watkins Glen. At that time, the French racer was just two years senior to Gasly.
“He would have been champion, that’s for sure,” Stewart shared with Gasly in a collaborative interview with L’Equipe sports newspaper.
“It’s very moving to see this,” the Scot said of the replica helmet. “It’s a very beautiful moment for me but also very sad to see this helmet again. It was my friend’s,” he added.
Gasly then shared with Stewart about the time when Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko drew a comparison between him and Cevert.
Marko had indeed described Gasly as like Cevert: “Quick, naughty and devoted to the finer things in life.”
Gasly said: “I really liked Francois Cevert, so I found that flattering.
“You know Helmut, he likes to make headlines with his comments but it’s very clearly a compliment.”
Stewart replied: “Oh, I didn’t know that. But if there’s one thing I know about Helmut, who I once raced against, it’s that he knows how to evaluate his drivers very well.
“So if he said that, he knows what he’s saying. I’ll follow you with even more attention now,” he promised Gasly.
