Mid-season review – Toro Rosso: Above expectations

The important figures

Position in the Constructors’ Championship: 6th

Pole: 0

Podium: 0

Victory: 0

Best result: 6th (Verstappen: Bahrain / Sainz: Spain)

Best qualification: 5th (Verstappen: Australia)

How to survive with a 2015 Baghdad power unit?

The biggest problem for Toro Rosso before the start of this year was its engine. The Italian team paid a high price for the tensions between Red Bull and Renault throughout 2015. While the Austrian team miraculously managed to secure an engine supply from the French brand, albeit with a change of name for the power units, Toro Rosso found itself left out in the cold in the heart of winter and was forced to accept a supply of a Ferrari power unit… from 2015.

But despite a glaring power deficit, Toro Rosso managed, thanks to its ingenuity and resourcefulness, to create a rather efficient car that compensates for the dozens of missing horsepower. With fast and promising young drivers, the team based in Faenza has managed to make people forget its handicap and even challenged the top tier at the beginning of the season. Lacking development, the team risks a more difficult second half of the season and is already dreaming of 2017 with a Renault in the future car.

A team orphaned by Max Verstappen

Starting from the Spanish Grand Prix, the Toro Rosso team saw its rising star Max Verstappen taken away, called to other horizons in the parent company Red Bull. In return, they received a mentally shattered Daniil Kvyat, who will find it very difficult to reach the level of a highly underestimated but extremely fast and reliable Carlos Sainz.

Not really affected by Red Bull’s decision to favor Verstappen over him, the Spaniard showed no signs of weakness once he became the team’s moral and logical leader. While the Dutchman claimed his first victory in Barcelona, Sainz achieved his best qualification. A nice surge of pride that proved, if needed, to his team that they could very well survive without their young protégé.

The pilots’ record

Toro Rosso and Red Bull made headlines in the week leading up to the Spanish Grand Prix by announcing the seat swap between Max Verstappen and Daniil Kvyat. After a series of blunders by the Russian, which could have been forgiven, Helmut Marko seized the opportunity to place his protégé in the leading team.

In the end, nothing very surprising as Red Bull’s policy is to use Toro Rosso as a stepping stone to promote future stars of the Austrian team. What is surprising is this sudden replacement mid-season. But in the end, the gamble paid off as the Dutchman secured his first victory for Red Bull in his very first Grand Prix with them.

At Toro Rosso, Verstappen had not underperformed either. Challenged last season by Sainz, Jos’s son arrived as a contender at the start of the year and scored significant points for the team right from the first races. He was even leading 13 points to 4 before his transfer to Spain.

Sainz even seemed relieved to see his cumbersome teammate leave, achieving his best overall performance in Barcelona (5th in qualifying and 6th in the race). He will continue on this trajectory to become the logical leader of the team.

On his side, Daniil Kvyat has not yet really recovered from his demotion and hopes for a calm summer break to recharge his drained batteries! The Russian is clearly playing for his future in the discipline, and the pressure has never been greater on his shoulders. But he has repeatedly proven to be a fast driver, as evidenced by his podium in China this year at the wheel of the Red Bull.

Appointment in 2017 with Pierre Gasly?

Like many mid-table or bottom-table teams, Toro Rosso is eagerly anticipating 2017 and has already focused a significant portion of its resources on the upcoming season. The Faenza-based team will reunite with a cutting-edge Renault power unit and is therefore expected to logically climb the hierarchy. The only question concerns the name of Sainz’s teammate, who has already been confirmed for the coming season. It seems unlikely, barring a miracle on his part, that Kvyat will continue the adventure. A young driver from the Red Bull circuit could logically be promoted, and the most likely candidate for the adventure is surely the Frenchman Pierre Gasly. But with Helmut Marko, anything is possible! So… wait and see!