Saturday: Beneficial changes for Toro Rosso
Toro Rosso can finally have a glimmer of satisfaction this evening. The new setup that Red Bull had for a few races could also work wonders on the STR4. Young Jaime Alguersuari performed well in the morning tests, ranking very high on the time sheet but eventually dropping to 18th place. This afternoon, the qualifications […]
Toro Rosso can finally have a glimmer of satisfaction this evening. The new setup that Red Bull had for a few races could also work wonders on the STR4. Young Jaime Alguersuari performed well in the morning tests, ranking very high on the time sheet but eventually dropping to 18th place. This afternoon, the qualifications didn’t go as well. He will start last tomorrow for the race, where he will be the youngest driver of all time to participate. The qualifying session saw the same record fall this afternoon.
So it is Sébastien Buemi, the team’s number 1, and he confirms it with a nice 11th place on the starting grid tomorrow. He narrowly misses Q3 but is pleased with this result, which allows for the choice of fuel quantity on board.
Sébastien Buemi – 5th and 11th (10th after Massa’s withdrawal):
« Finishing eleventh shows that we have made progress, a very big step forward since the last race. It was a good qualification for us, even though it’s frustrating to finish eleventh because you want to reach Q3. But it allows us to start with the fuel load we want for the race. I think we will be in good shape for tomorrow. »
Jaime Alguersuari – 18th and 20th (19th after Massa’s withdrawal):
« Ending on a failure is never good, I had a problem with the throttle control system, but we should be happy because I haven’t made any mistakes so far this weekend. On my first two sets of tires, I did a good job. I’m really looking forward to being in the race and I’ll be happy if I finish it. »
Giorgio Ascanelli – Technical Director:
« First of all, everyone’s thoughts at Toro Rosso are with Felipe Massa. As for our performance, obviously, the development that was presented by Red Bull Racing at the British Grand Prix and used on our cars for the first time this weekend is a success. It is not yet a complete set and it has proven to be very effective, as can be seen with Sébastien [Buemi]’s performance. »
« I must congratulate Jaime [Alguersuari] for a good job without being ridiculous. His stop was due to a problem caused by the introduction of the new hydraulic system. We still have a long way to go with this car, but I think we can have a good race. Eleventh on the grid, is that better than tenth? If it’s a choice between an egg or a chicken, tomorrow, I’ll take the egg! »
