Pierre Gasly needs to look good alongside Max Verstappen in 2019.

That is the view of outspoken 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve. In just his second season on the grid, Frenchman Gasly has replaced Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull.

"For Gasly, the only goal is to compare himself to Max Verstappen," the Canadian told La Presse.

"That will be difficult because Red Bull is 'Team Verstappen', but he has his chance and it's up to him to stand out at this level."

However, Villeneuve admitted that a big question mark looms over Red Bull's performance for 2019.

"There could be a surprise, but it's been four years that people expect surprises from Honda," he said.

Another former driver who isn't sure about Red Bull-Honda's chances is Mika Hakkinen.

"Looking at the results of the tests and what Renault have done with the performance of their engine, I think they are in very good shape," he is quoted by AS newspaper.

"I wonder if Red Bull made the right decision. It will be very interesting to find out."

(GMM)