Friday Report: Toro Rosso – General Satisfaction
It's back to school for the small world of Formula 1. This is an opportunity to get a clearer first impression of the performances of each team, but more importantly, to better position themselves in relation to the competition.
At Toro Rosso, they are satisfied at the end of this first day. Both main drivers are confident for the rest of the weekend. Buemi believes that the STR6 is in a very tight group. The slightest detail can make a difference.
This Friday was also an opportunity for Daniel Ricciardo to make his baptism by fire during a Grand Prix weekend. The young man quickly found his bearings and is already eagerly awaiting his next outing.
Jaime Alguersuari – 11th:
A different day because I had to get used to seeing Daniel behind the wheel of my car in the morning. I’m cool with that, it’s good that another young Red Bull driver gets the chance to gain experience in F1. The most important thing is that we all work for the same team by helping each other to progress.
«I must say, because it was the first day of the season, it was a bit complicated this afternoon to stick to the schedule as much as possible, and the occasional rain didn’t help. Despite everything, I’m happy with my feelings in the car; it seems competitive. Even though things went well today, there’s potential to achieve much more for tomorrow. For a first day, I would summarize it in a very positive way.»
Sebastien Buemi – 14th and 14th:
« After the winter testing, it’s good to be back on track for real knowing that you are going to race. I am happy to see how we perform compared to others. It was a busy day with a program we will have to analyze carefully, because there are all the new elements like the rear wing, KERS, and tires to consider.
«For the moment, the times place us in the middle of the pack, in a compact group in terms of lap times. We must make the most of tonight if we want to do well tomorrow.»
The track hasn’t changed much compared to last year except for the new pavement in turns 8 and 9 which is better, so it’s still as nice to drive here.
Daniel Ricciardo – 16th:
«All week, I tried to prepare myself to have as little pressure as possible. Even though it was just another moment on the track, I feel a bit different, I’m not going to lie. When I left the pits and went on track, I felt a bit like jelly in the first corners. But once we got started with the serious stuff, I was happy. The first important thing is that I brought the car back in one piece. I hope the team is satisfied with that. After that, I just wanted to learn progressively. It will get easier for me as the races go on. »
