Would a Red Bull return really be best for Gasly?

He's just completed the highest achievement of his career so far. He's embraced his mechanics, taken in congratulations from his peers, lifted the trophy and sprayed the champagne. But he won't leave - not yet. He can't. He doesn't know if he will ever return to such a stage.

Pierre Gasly sitting alone on the Monza podium was the defining image of the 2020 Italian Grand Prix.

His win for AlphaTauri will go down as one of the most unexpected, brilliant and satisfying in Formula 1's history. And that's not some tiresome era-comparing cliche, it's because Gasly's story over the last 13 months has been fascinating.

Demotion, tragedy, redemption. He, and F1 fans, had a lot to ponder on Sunday night.

"I didn't want to leave, because these kind of moments... you never know how many times you are going to be able to enjoy these times," Gasly reflected in the post-race press conference.

"I wish we could have had all the tifosi and all the grandstands full of people, because it's probably one of the best races to be on the podium, right up there. Obviously 2020-style is a bit different but nevertheless I just wanted to sit down and take a moment for myself to go through the thoughts that were crossing my mind and just enjoy that moment."

PLUS: The key factors behind a Monza thriller that left the winner speechless

Wise words from Gasly, which speak of the 24-year-old's clarity and presence of mind on what was a frantic afternoon and evening in Italy.

In the third week of August 2019, Red Bull dropped the bombshell announcement that he would be relegated back to Toro Rosso, with Alex Albon coming the other way, after 12 races for the senior squad. He'd had a series of tough results, going up against one of F1's fiercest competitors as a team-mate: Max Verstappen.

At the following round, his close friend Anthoine Hubert was killed in the Formula 2 feature race at Spa.

PLUS: Hubert remembered by the racers closest to him

Over the rest of that season, he impressed back at his first F1 squad, capping the year with his second place behind Verstappen in the wild Brazilian GP, pipping gaming mate Lewis Hamilton on the run to the line (with Hamilton later penalised from P3).

"I really wanted to make a clear point in that moment [to say] 'look, I know I'm fast, I know what I can do, I know I can believe, I've been fighting for victories, for poles, championships in my early years in my career and that's what I want in F1'" Pierre Gasly

He stayed on with the Faenza team into this year, rebranded, fashionably, as AlphaTauri. It marked the first time in his single-seater career that he had stayed with the same squad over an off-season. When Autosport met him at the team's season launch in Salzburg he seemed relaxed - unruffled (apart from his hair) by questions comparing the year that then was still mainly ahead to his preparations for partnering Verstappen in 2019.

But it seems that sense of calm wasn't coming from idleness or acceptance that his dream was over now he was firmly back in F1's midfield.

"I grew up with four brothers and as a child, I had to work through quite difficult moments, which built me a pretty strong character and I always had to fight for everything I wanted," he continued last Sunday.

"I always, in some way, managed to turn that negative energy into something positive. I knew last year what happened - deep inside me, obviously I felt hurt - and I didn't feel it was fair to myself.

"I really wanted to make a clear point in that moment [to say] 'look, I know I'm fast, I know what I can do, I know I can believe, I've been fighting for victories, for poles, championships in my early years in my career and that's what I want in F1'.

"I really worked very hard with the team and I knew that with them I had everything in my hands to show my potential."

Even before he had turned a wheel at the Italian GP, those efforts had led to starring drives at the season opener, the British GP and in Belgium. He has made it through to Q3 five times in what is always going to be a battle for AlphaTauri given F1's crowded midfield.

As a result of his famous win (with a little help from the unusually underperforming Hamilton and Verstappen), he now tops Autosport's driver ratings averages with 9.0, while Verstappen and Hamilton give away 0.1 and 0.2 respectively.

He doesn't have a title battle or an inherently tricky car to tackle, as they do respectively, but that is nevertheless seriously impressive stuff. And given how much he has been through to reach this point in such a short space of time, no wonder he wanted to gather his thoughts in the best place an F1 driver can be - the top step of the podium.

His victory oozed with feel-good-factor. In fact, emotions ran through the Monza race. Behind Gasly came Carlos Sainz Jr and his clinical determination - never reaching desperation. A slight crackle in his voice on the in-lap, realising he may never get the chance to take such a win again - but also delighted at his first proper F1 podium visit with a team where he has thrived, and where he will soon depart. Then there was Hamilton's quest for understanding over his penalty - his stewards visit revealing his constant drive.

Inevitably, Gasly was asked about a possible return to Red Bull, which had a shocker of a race on Sunday - Christian Horner's media zoom call abruptly cancelled.

"I think I'm ready but, it's not up to me to make that call," was Gasly's reply. "The only thing I've done since they moved me back to Toro Rosso has been just to focus on myself and just show what I can do."

But the simple question is whether Red Bull really is the best place for him in the future.

The Verstappen factor remains - he and Hamilton lead the way in overall F1 quality, even considering Gasly's fine 2020 so far, and he is a relentless force as a team-mate. Plus, the RB16 is clearly a difficult car to tame - Albon is far from a bad driver. And finally, right now, Gasly is clearly so happy at AlphaTauri.

Red Bull and AlphaTauri are far from the only teams in F1, should Gasly decide - when the time comes (and that isn't right now) - he wants a change

It should be stressed that a Red Bull deal is not to be sniffed at. The focus on its ruthlessness with junior drivers overlooks its contribution to so many careers. And as a very successful squad (one that still needs to solve its slow-season-starting nature) it has earned the right to do whatever it takes to stay as one of F1's top teams - even if that means making driver decisions that vex the outside world.

But Red Bull and AlphaTauri are far from the only teams in F1, should Gasly decide - when the time comes (and that isn't right now) - he wants a change.

The Alpine rebranding hints at a long-term F1 future for the Renault group, which was seriously endangered by the COVID-19 pandemic. And growing a French brand would be enhanced by the presence of a home-grown hero. It has that in Esteban Ocon, but while Gasly was celebrating victory he was being publicly chastised by his engineer for his own attempts to air his grievances with the squad.

That's not to say Ocon is or should be going anywhere (and in any case, he's always got the might of Mercedes for some support), but it serves to highlight that there is an alternative reality within F1 for Gasly, should he want to embrace it.

PLUS: Why Renault's new 'car guy' CEO couldn't pull the plug on F1

Should that hypothetical scenario come to pass then he would come up against an even tougher team-mate than Verstappen - Fernando Alonso. But if there is anything the last 13 months have taught F1 and Gasly himself, it's that you can throw the worst at him and he will find a way to show his resilience and worth.