Saturday: Toro Rosso makes progress… insufficient!

Toro Rosso had a mixed start to the season, but another revelation: Sébastien Buemi. Here in Spain, the team has the aerodynamic package from Red Bull in Melbourne. The improvements are indeed immediately noticeable, but the performances are not yet the best. Buemi is correctly exploiting the car’s potential, whereas Bourdais is missing the mark.

Sébastien Buemi qualifies for Q2 and will start 15th. Bourdais does not make the cut and will start 17th. Two positions separate the two drivers, yet for Ascanelli, the cars are not where they should be. Bourdais is reprimanded once again but has the patience and experience to wait for the race and the final verdict. Buemi, on his side, waits and hopes for rain.

Sébastien Buemi – 9th and 15th:

« To be honest, we were hoping for better than that. In addition to my slip-up, we encountered traffic in Q2, and I think without that I could have been two or three tenths faster and thus a few places ahead. Now, we’re going to work hard to prepare well for tomorrow’s race and be ready for the possibility of rain… that could be a good thing for us. It’s tough to overtake here, so it would help us get into the points, but you never know what can happen during the first lap. I’m not losing hope of having a good weekend! »

Sébastien Bourdais – 14th and 17th:

« The car is actually faster with this new specification, but the performances are so tight that the slightest mistake is unforgiving. My first run was good, but I felt I was losing grip in the second. Doing two stints of two laps each was the right decision. I had a bit of oversteer in the slow corners, so I didn’t have enough speed on the straight and missed Q2 by a fraction. It wasn’t good enough today. »

Giorgio Ascanelli – Technical Director:

« Here in Spain, we benefit from the aerodynamic package used by Red Bull in Melbourne. We could and should have both our cars in Q2. Everyone else has also made progress, but compared to the others, I think we’ve made bigger strides. Unfortunately, for now, we haven’t optimized the performance. »