Toro Rosso: Verstappen in Form, Sainz Starts to Worry
Author of some beautiful overtakes in the race, Max Verstappen was ranked ninth in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Once again betrayed by his mechanics, Carlos Sainz couldn't fight on the track.
Max Verstappen delivered another solid race to cross the finish line in tenth place (he will be ninth after the disqualification of Felipe Massa). The Dutchman finished in the points for the sixth consecutive time: “It was a very enjoyable race!” he said after the finish. “Of course, you always want to score more points, but we have to be realistic: tenth place was all we could aim for today. We were not very fast on the straights, and unfortunately, it’s very difficult to defend your position against a Lotus or a Force India.”
Carlos Sainz is now used to watching his young teammate shine from the Toro Rosso pit wall. The Spaniard was once again out of luck and had to retire very quickly, just after encountering an electrical problem during an installation lap. “How frustrating it is not to have been able to start the race! I was performing the first start test on the way to the grid, but the engine suddenly stopped. I was pushed back to the garage and started the race from the pits, but shortly after I set off, the engine stopped again. This is really not the ideal situation for a rookie like me, as I need to gain experience and finish races,” he worried.
Cedrik Staudhor, the representative of Renault Sport F1 with Toro Rosso, later confirmed an electrical problem that also affected the clutch system.
