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Formula 1: 5 drivers fighting for their careers in 2020

By William Dodds

SOCHI, RUSSIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Lance Stroll of Canada driving the (18) Racing Point RP19 Mercedes leads Pierre Gasly of France driving the (10) Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 Honda on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Russia at Sochi Autodrom on September 29, 2019 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)
SOCHI, RUSSIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Lance Stroll of Canada driving the (18) Racing Point RP19 Mercedes leads Pierre Gasly of France driving the (10) Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 Honda on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Russia at Sochi Autodrom on September 29, 2019 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images) /
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AUSTIN, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 01: Pierre Gasly of France and Scuderia Toro Rosso (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 01: Pierre Gasly of France and Scuderia Toro Rosso (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) /

Formula 1 is one of the most competitive and cutthroat sports in the world, with only 20 drivers having the opportunity to compete at once.

With so many talented drivers coming through from the junior series, moving across from other series and looking for a new drive, there is constant pressure on those in Formula 1 to perform and justify their position in the world’s premier motor racing competition.

The 2019 season is nearly over, but with most of the driver lineups now confirmed for 2020, we can now look ahead at the drivers who are already under pressure to prove their worth and hold on to their seats for another year.

Here are the five drivers who will be fighting for their Formula 1 career during the 2020 season.

Pierre Gasly

The Frenchman joined Red Bull Racing full of hope at the start of the 2019 season, but the way his career at the Milton Keynes-based team unraveled has put him in the position of fighting for his Formula 1 career in 2020. His form at the back end of this season will have bought him a bit of time, but given the dearth of talent in the Red Bull driver academy, there will be no guarantees for Pierre Gasly going forward.

In a Toro Rosso, Gasly looks to be a fast driver, capable of getting his car into Q3 and then holding onto his position and scoring points. Since rejoining the Red Bull junior team, Gasly has consistently outperformed Daniil Kvyat, and given his relative youth, he is the lesser likely of the Toro Rosso drivers to lose his seat in Formula 1.

However, Red Bull are a ruthlessly ambitious team, and if there are drivers available who they see more potential in to step up and become race winners, Gasly will come under threat. While he only had just over half a season with the team, he was unable to match the kind of performances Alex Albon has been delivering, let alone Max Verstappen.

Stepping up to a top team in Formula 1 is hard and Gasly is undoubtedly a talented driver, but he has already shown an inability to take the step up, and at Red Bull, if you aren’t moving forward, you are moving backward.

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