Red Bull junior Pierre Gasly, who was looked over for  a drive with Toro Rosso, will retain his backing from the energy drinks company and race in the Japanese Super Formula series.

It was anticipated that 2016 GP2 champion Gasly would graduate to F1 with the junior bull outfit, replacing Dany Kvyat.

Indeed it appeared the Frenchman himself was under that impression following his own comments that he believed the door to F1 was open for 2017.

• Under the skin of the Toro Rosso STR11

But Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko crushed the driver’s hopes and set the record straight by re-signing Kvyat and Carlos Sainz for 2017, and publicly dressing down the young hopeful, insisting that Gasly had ‘made too many mistakes’.

Click Here: France Football Shop

Gasly now follows in the footsteps of Stoffel Vandoorne whom McLaren sent to Japan for a year before entrusting the Belgian with a drive alongside Fernando Alonso.

GALLERY: F1 drivers’ wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter