Saturday: Qualified in Q2, Toro Rosso bets on rain
For once, both Toro Rosso cars qualified at the same time for Q2. But more importantly, Daniel Ricciardo, 16th, and Jean-Eric Vergne, 17th, adjusted their settings to capitalize on the chances of rain during tomorrow's race.
Daniel Ricciardo – 16th and 16th:
« Today, we drove more or less in the same rhythm we have shown since the start on Friday. When the rain came at the start of the session, I hoped it would stay, as I feel we have better chances in the rain. In fact, given the forecast, that’s why I opted for settings better suited to tomorrow’s conditions. This afternoon was largely a battle with my teammate, and I don’t think I could have been higher on the grid. If our gamble pays off and it rains, we will undoubtedly be able to fight for some points tomorrow. »
Jean-Eric Vergne – 17th and 17th:
« It’s not too bad, considering I’ve been struggling to find the best settings since yesterday. In qualifying, the car was better than during the rest of the weekend. Maybe I could have been a bit faster, even though I didn’t make any mistakes, but probably not enough to improve my position. Our car definitely performed better when the conditions were cooler, which is encouraging for tomorrow, as we expect it to be even cooler than today and wet at times. I feel we can have a good race tomorrow and be opportunistic if the rain comes. We’ll try everything, we have nothing to lose, and I want to finish my first season with a good result. »
