2017 Review – Toro Rosso: The Biggest Loser of the Midfield

7th in the championship, 53pts

Best qualification: 6th

Best race result: 4th

With the most beautiful livery of the season according to observers, Toro Rosso arrived in Melbourne with the intention of asserting itself in the first part of the table. The exercise was successful in Australia and China, despite Kvyat’s retirement in Shanghai due to a hydraulic problem.

From Bahrain, things got complicated; the failure to access Q3 became a persistent reality, and the Top 10 drifted away for the Spaniard and the Russian. Within the team, the hierarchy was once again established in favor of Sainz. If they were equal in qualifications, Kvyat struggled in the race, and it was almost always Sainz who brought in the points. Notable was his performance at the Spanish Grand Prix, starting last, he secured 10th place and the single point that came with it.

The decline of the small Scuderia is becoming increasingly burdensome in terms of performance, and the European tour will not reverse the trend. Q3 is becoming an elusive dream, and the team clings to Carlos Sainz’s brilliance during races, like in Monaco with a 6th place finish, while Daniil Kvyat continues to struggle, and his retirements due to mechanical failure don’t help. Just like in Canada, the Faenza cars did not finish the race in Austria. Worse still, Kvyat is haunted by his demons and takes out Alonso and Verstappen at the first braking point.

Upon returning from the break, the Belgium and Italy Grand Prix are two difficult races, and once again it’s Sainz who brings a point to the team at Spa-Francorchamps. Following the Singapore Grand Prix where Sainz delivers his best performance with a 4th place finish and where Kvyat once again ends his race in the wall, the axe falls.

Before the Malaysia Grand Prix, Toro Rosso announces Kvyat’s replacement in favor of Pierre Gasly. The Frenchman proves to be solid while Sainz retires consecutively in Kuala Lumpur and Suzuka, before taking Jolyon Palmer’s place at Renault. In the United States, Kvyat returns for a one-off alongside Brendon Hartley who replaces Sainz. The Russian scores his last point before giving his seat back to Gasly, who goes to defend his title chances in Super Formula.

The last three races of the season are difficult for the small bulls. With two rookies, the chances of scoring points are slim for the Italian team, especially since performance is increasingly lacking. Gasly and Hartley still manage to convince Franz Tost and Helmut Marko, who confirm them for 2018.

Editor’s Note: 11/20

Carlos Sainz:

9th in the championship, 54 pts (48)

Best qualification: 6th

Best race result: 4th

When taking stock, Carlos Sainz carried his team this season. Best qualification, best result, and 90% of the points contributed to the constructor’s tally, the contract is fulfilled for the Spaniard. Almost retained at Toro Rosso for a third season, Sainz stood out in the best possible way to secure his transfer to Renault from the United States Grand Prix onwards.

In good form throughout the season, Sainz regularly finished in the points despite a few absences, such as in Sakhir where he collided with Stroll coming out of the pits or in Canada when he tangled with Romain Grosjean. The driver to whom his team owed their 6th and then 7th place in the Constructors’ Championship also had moments of glory. In Monaco, he qualified 6th and crossed the finish line in the same position. In Hungary, he finished 7th after a battle that favored his older McLaren colleague, and in Singapore, he reached a peak by taking 4th place, which the usual contenders had left open.

After this best result of the season, one can regret his two mistakes on the challenging Suzuka circuit, which forgives neither off-pavement excursions like in practice nor deviations in trajectories like in the race. It’s a shame that this was his last with Red Bull’s junior team with his transfer to Renault.

Editorial Note: 15/20

Daniil Kvyat:

19th in the championship, 5 pts

Best qualification: 9th

Best race result: 9th

The off-season wasn’t enough for Daniil Kvyat to regroup and regain his full performance. His start to the season is satisfactory; he holds his own in qualifying with Sainz, but during races, the Russian’s performance is lacking. Mechanical troubles don’t spare him, like in China, Canada, or Azerbaijan, and neither do other drivers, as seen with Sergio Pérez hitting him in Monaco.

In Austria, Kvyat succumbs to his old demons and at the first corner he takes out Alonso and Verstappen by arriving far too quickly. Throughout the Grand Prix, he fails to return to the top 10 while Sainz repeatedly enters and scores points for the team. Singapore is the final straw; as the race had been restarted for a few laps after the chaos at the start, the Russian once again arrives too quickly entering a corner, ending his race in the tire wall.

This latest incident ejects him from his seat, Pierre Gasly replaces him. He can return in Austin because Gasly is in Japan for the last Super Formula race, for an honorable performance as he finishes 10th and gives the team the last point. What should have been normal became an exceptional performance for the Russian, which costs him his place.

Editor’s Note: 8/20

Pierre Gasly:

21st in the championship, 0 pts

Best qualification: 15th

Best race result: 12th

Called in as reinforcement to replace a lackluster Daniil Kvyat, the Frenchman performed well from his first Grand Prix in Malaysia. He did not score points in the end, but his weekend was a relative success. He qualified 15th, less than two-tenths behind Sainz (14th) in his debut, and admits lacking experience in tire management, which hampers him at the end of the race. This is precisely what costs him his first chance at points in Suzuka, as he has to make an extra stop after getting a flat spot on his front tires.

The Mexican Grand Prix turns into a nightmare for him, after spending the first session on the wall – Sean Gelael took his place – his second session is quickly cut short by an engine problem, as is the third. He does not participate in qualifying because the mechanics did not have time to change the engine and starts last on Sunday. His 13th place finish in the race is a good thing as he was fully discovering the track during it.

In Brazil and Abu Dhabi, he suffers even more from the lack of performance of his car. At Interlagos, he shows lucidity by making the most of the first corners after a disappointing 17th place in qualifying. At the finish, he is 12th behind the Renaults of Sainz and Hülkenberg and couldn’t have hoped for better, according to him. At the end of the race on the Marina Bay circuit, he expresses his discontent on the radio, lamenting the loss of 6th place for Toro Rosso.

Editor’s Note: 11/20

Brendon Hartley:

23rd in the championship, 0 pts

Best qualification: 13th

Best race result: 13th

After Gasly in Malaysia, Brendon Hartley is announced for the United States to replace Sainz. The New Zealander, accustomed to endurance racing, re-discovers F1 by performing some artistic figures during practice, and even though he starts last on Sunday after the slowest qualifying time and penalties for engine part changes, he makes a good recovery in the race and finishes in a satisfying 13th place for the team.

In Mexico and Brazil, he fell victim to the unreliability of the Renault block. He was spared during practice and qualifying sessions – excluding FP1 of the Brazilian Grand Prix – and faced setbacks twice during the races. In Abu Dhabi, the only circuit he knows well from racing in endurance, Hartley showed a degree of confidence, but new penalties for engine part changes ruined the little hope he had. At the checkered flag, he finished 15th ahead of his teammate and can already make a rather inconclusive assessment of his F1 experience.

With 4 races contested, two retirements due to technical failure, and a heap of penalties that only McLaren-Honda would find insignificant, the New Zealander does not find the single-seater in a favorable situation. We hope for him and Gasly that the 2018 season will be more joyous, even if we might shudder to hear about the team’s future engine by Honda.

Editor’s rating: 11/20