2018 Report – Toro Rosso: Between Shadow and Light

Ranking in the championship: 9th, 33 pts

Best qualifying position: 6th (Gasly – Bahrain, Hungary / Hartley – Japan)

Best race finish: 4th (Gasly – Bahrain)

Having been stuck in 7th place in the constructors’ standings since 2014, the Italian team is thus lamenting its worst ranking in 4 years this year.

For its defense, Scuderia Toro Rosso changed engine manufacturers this year, adopting the Honda engine previously used by McLaren. With a relatively positive reliability record, the team still faced 10 retirements during the season, with only 12 races completed by their 2 drivers (out of 21 in total).

The engine test seems nevertheless conclusive given the choice of the sister team, which is committing as early as next year alongside engine manufacturer Honda as well.

Led by a sparkling Pierre Gasly in the first half of the season, it must be acknowledged that the second part was more challenging for Franz Tost’s team.

The numbers speak for themselves with 28 points collected at mid-season, including 26 for the Norman. The tally for the second half stands at 5 points.

The in-season development has therefore cost Scuderia Toro Rosso, which may also have been overtaken by other teams whose momentum improved during the season.

The new pair of drivers for 2019 combines the young F1 experience of Daniil Kvyat with the completely fresh F1 experience of Alexander Albon.

With increased experience in operating the Honda engine and assistance from Red Bull in this regard, Toro Rosso will logically come back better equipped in this area starting next season. See you in March to check it out.

Pierre Gasly:

The Norman made his mark this season with three masterfully managed races. An excellent tire manager and skilled driver, he proved to the parent team that they should rely on him for the years to come.

Surprising the field at the Bahrain Grand Prix both in the race and in qualifying, he will finish just off the podium in the second race of the season.

In Monaco, he was able to conserve his tires to bring his car to seventh place at the end of optimal stints.

Finally, he managed to show opportunism by finishing sixth in the Hungarian Grand Prix while taking advantage of Mercedes’ misfortunes.

The rest of the season was more challenging for the Frenchman, who only scored one point in the eight Grand Prix following Spa.

Recruited by Red Bull for the 2019 season alongside Max Verstappen, the Frenchman brings with him his experience with the Honda engine and his talent. He will have a tough challenge against a favored and fierce Dutchman, but there’s no doubt he will seize opportunities to return to strong performances.

Brandon Hartley:

For his first full season, the New Zealander unfortunately couldn’t keep his place. Like Stoffel Vandoorne, Brandon Hartley was clearly overshadowed by his teammate.

With three appearances in the Top 10 including one following disqualifications (Magnussen’s Haas and the Racing Point of Esteban Ocon in Austin), the Palmerston North native shone too little in the eyes of Helmut Marko, who placed increasing pressure on his shoulders.

The head of the program, not known for his patience, announced the dismissal of the New Zealander for the following season right after the end of the current season, in favor of Alexander Albon and the returning Daniil Kvyat, symbolizing the difficulties of the Red Bull young driver program.

The former endurance driver, having already proven his talent in other disciplines, will likely be able to reclaim his place in a category where he feels more comfortable.