Friday: Toro Rosso is not up to speed
Toro Rosso is not really having a good time on the Yas Marina track. The STR7 lacks downforce, and its overall performance is affected. Nevertheless, the drivers are not panicking and hope to improve over the course of the weekend.
Daniel Ricciardo – 17th and 17th:
At the start of Free Practice 1, lack of grip was an issue but we improved the car between the two sessions and while the short stints were good, the pace on the longer stints wasn’t great. Overall we weren’t on the pace today. The heat? It’s not worse than in Singapore, there’s no problem on that front.
Jean-Eric Vergne – 18th and 18th:
« It’s nice to be back here on this circuit that I know better than any other on the Formula 1 calendar. It was a fun day on the track. I had an issue with the car this afternoon which cost me some track time. We seem to be suffering from a lack of performance, which I think is due to not having downforce. But we’ve been in this situation on Friday before and have managed to improve on Saturday and especially on Sunday. We just need to work hard and see how to move forward. »
