Pierre Gasly says he is not surprised that Red Bull has chosen to keep Sergio Perez as the "second driver" alongside world champion Max Verstappen.

The 26-year-old Frenchman has been pushing hard for a second chance at Red Bull's top team, but the new two-year contract for Perez now overlaps with the end of Gasly's contract, which runs until the end of 2023. "Their intention is quite clear - they want to keep me," Gasly said in Baku.

"I have nothing to add to what has been said so far. These are discussions that are ongoing where we try to see what everyone's wishes are. I feel ready to move to a higher stage, but when there are more concrete things, there will be more to say," he continued.

Gasly insists that he wasn't caught by Perez's announcement after Monaco, where the 32-year-old Mexican won. "I've known about it for a while," he revealed.

"It's also the logic of things - I'm not an idiot. Regarding his profile, his performance, the money he brings. If you look at what the second driver has to offer, he's doing it," he explained.

"He's having a good season, so for them it makes sense to keep it up. As far as my career, my ambitions, my desires, that's another matter," Gasly added.

Gasly, who drives for AlphaTauri, has been linked to a complete exit from Red Bull and has been tentatively linked to McLaren, Aston Martin and Alpine. "We are discussing my future with Helmut Marko," he stated.

"We have to understand what is best for all of us. We have a very good relationship - they have known me since childhood. On the one hand, I understand the team's position. But that doesn't mean that everything should remain as it is with me. I think we will find some solution in the end," he believes.

"My contract is valid until 2023 and after that I am ready to consider any option. With the support of Red Bull, I am ready to drive in another team, as Alex Albon is now at Williams. I am ready to leave the Red Bull program, but I don't want to go into details. I don't want to make headlines," he concluded.