An outstanding third row for the young talents of Toro Rosso
Carlos Sainz Junior and Max Verstappen struck hard this Saturday afternoon during the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying session: by beating both Red Bull drivers and locking the third row, the team achieved an overall performance they hadn't reached in a long time.
Ranked 5th on the starting grid, Carlos Sainz Junior was euphoric as he got out of the car at the end of Q3. The first words of the 21-year-old Spaniard were: “What a result! It’s a very special feeling, I’m very happy: finishing 5th and 6th today is a fantastic achievement for the whole team!”
However, the start of the session didn’t seem as convincing for the young driver: «I wasn’t very comfortable with the settings until the start of Q1, but suddenly the car became just the way I wanted it! »
Regarding the race, he remains realistic: it will be difficult to resist Räikkönen’s Ferrari or Massa’s Williams. However, the local hero assures us of one thing: « I will be thrilled to start from this position in front of my home crowd! I could see all the jubilant fans from my car. Let’s push together for a great result tomorrow! »
On Max Verstappen’s side, the tone is a bit more measured: the 17-year-old Dutch driver hides a bit of his frustration at finishing just behind his teammate: “I’m not 100% happy with my performance because I’ve been struggling with the balance of my car since this morning’s Free Practice, but this 6th position is a positive result!” The now-youngest driver in history to score points does not lack ambition for the race: “The most important thing will be to score points. Even if it won’t be easy, I hope to keep this position until the finish.”
The deputy technical director of the team, Ben Waterhouse, obviously paid tribute to his two protégés: « Our two drivers delivered a brilliant performance today! » According to him, the engineering team also played a decisive role in providing the right settings since Free Practice: « We made good improvements since Friday night. We are happy with our work, both here and in our factories in Faenza and Bicester. »
But the time is far from being for celebration. However, we have only done part of the job. No points are given to us after these qualifications. We must now ensure that we prepare the race as best as possible. We still have a lot to do, but I can’t wait for tomorrow!
Whatever happens in the race, this qualifying session will be remembered: you have to go back to the 2008 Italian Grand Prix to see two Toro Rosso drivers placed so high. At that time, Sebastian Vettel had taken pole position while Frenchman Sébastien Bourdais set the 4th fastest time.
