The 24-year-old Frenchman enters the fifth round of the year, the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, with only 4 points on the scoreboard (tied with his teammate, Russian Daniil Kvyat). Jean-Eric Vergne, aka JEV, still believes, for the AFP, that the assessment [is] very positive, even if it is not necessarily what people feel from the outside. Sometimes there are things that are not said, which could explain poor results.<\/p>\n
JEV claims that the Italian team has all the elements to improve the car and seek better results. The team must learn to work with a new supplier on an entirely new engine: \u00ab Toro Rosso has done a very good job with the people at Renault, to properly adapt the engine in the car and to understand the use of energy in the race. \u00bb<\/p>\n
\u00ab We know which direction to go and we know that we will be able to seek performance. We started the season with a car that was too heavy, it lost weight race after race, and when we get there, it will change a lot of things. The positive side is that I have a few tenths in my pocket and the day everything is aligned, it will make my life easier. \u00bb<\/p>\n
\u00ab Do not look for excuses \u00bb<\/b><\/p>\n
Jean-Eric declared at the beginning of the season to be handicapped by his weight in the car. The new regulations impose a very low minimum vehicle weight. With the driver on board, this weight is difficult to achieve. In a sport where a few kilos can make a difference, the lightest drivers are advantaged. Today he approaches things differently: \u00ab I prefer not to look for excuses, keep my head down and continue moving forward. I also feel much better than last year, so I’m able to perform much better, especially in qualifying. \u00bb<\/p>\n
The qualifications were Vergne’s weak point last year compared to his teammate Daniel Ricciardo: \u00ab I learned a lot from him in qualifying and improved that point this season. In the race, I was always able to make a difference. \u00bb The Frenchman managed to qualify three times in the top 10 during the first four races. \/f1\/actualite\/17344-polemique-sur-la-perte-de-poids-des-pilotes-danger-ou-gain-de-temps-necessaire-.html.<\/p>\n
**A Missed Opportunity at Red Bull Racing**<\/p>\n
The Frenchman had a chance to find himself alongside world champion Sebastian Vettel this year, but it was his former Australian teammate who got Red Bull’s nod: \u00ab I have no regrets, no heartache, because things happen for certain reasons. Since I was performing at the same level as Daniel for the past two seasons, it shows the level we both had, Daniel and I. […] It really marked me, it even hurt, but I took the winter to reflect. \u00bb<\/p>\n
JEV remains very focused on himself: \u00ab The positive is that I have changed many things and the people who trust me, in the team, have seen this change. […] I race against myself first, especially on a qualifying lap. I am alone behind the wheel and if I start thinking about others, I can’t handle it. \u00bb<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jean-Eric Vergne is in his third year within Red Bull Racing – Renault’s junior team: Scuderia Toro Rosso. He is currently the best-ranked French driver in this 2014 F1 season. For him, there is still ample room for improving his performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,1749],"tags":[1595,1664],"class_list":["post-15585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-f1","category-news","tag-toro-rosso","tag-vergne"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n