2017 Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team - Renault

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ME4ME
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Re: 2017 Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team - Renault

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Will be interesting to see Hartley race an F1 car. Personally I would've picked Frijns.

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HPD
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Brendon Hartley:

"What an amazing feeling! This opportunity came as somewhat of a surprise, but I never did give up on my ambition and childhood dream to reach F1. I have grown and learnt so much since the days when I was the Red Bull and Toro Rosso reserve driver, and the tough years I went through made me stronger and even more determined. I want to say a huge thanks to Red Bull for making this a reality, and to Porsche for allowing me to do this alongside the World Endurance Championship. COTA is a track I really enjoy and one I have raced at recently. I'm trying not to put too many expectations on my F1 debut, but I feel ready for it."


Franz Tost (Team Principal):

"Scuderia Toro Rosso is very pleased to announce that Brendon Hartley, who has been part of the Red Bull family for a long time in different classes, as well as the test and reserve driver for Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso, will now be back racing for us in Austin. Brendon is coming as the reigning 24h Le Mans winner and he's also leading the current FIA LMP1 World Endurance Championship, which he won in 2015 as well. We are really happy to have him back in our team. With all the racing experience accumulated over the years, we are convinced that he will do a fantastic job for us."

kptaylor
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Re: 2017 Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team - Renault

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While I see the rationale behind trialing Hartley, I really don't think his performance will be that good. Toomuch to learn in a short time, simulator work or not. Hopefully he can acquit himself and be in contention for an '18 seat. Really are no other real options unless they resurrect Buemi, Vergne or others. RB tends to favor their juniors so doubt anyone else would really be in picture. (Kubica, Wehrlein, Palmer, Nasr, etc.) I thought Honda would push for a Japanese driver, but not sure any have enough points for a license w/o doing some FP1 work and junior series wins.

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NathanOlder
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The teams know best on how challenging it is coming in for 1 race. So even if it looks like a driver may disappoint on TV, it may be far from the truth.

Example, Paul Di Resta, didnt do a great deal, was easily slower than Stroll yet after the race Williams praised him massively and he is well in contention for a 2018 race seat because of it.

If you read the praise on Di Resta without seeing the race or results, you would probably guess he finished in the points.
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AMG.Tzan
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Re: 2017 Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team - Renault

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Since they want to test a driver for next year...why don't they just run Antonio Felix Da Costa?? I've been waiting for a moment like this just to see what he is capable of in F1! But to be fair Red Bull must know a bit better than us on who to choose! I really hope Hartley can perform well!!
"The only rule is there are no rules" - Aristotle Onassis

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HPD
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Honda surprised the entire 'paddock' by saying they will seek to finish "in the top 3" next year. All this with Toro Rosso, one of the most modest teams, and with an engine that still gives problems.

"Those kinds of words are wrong." Hasegawa says.

- "But I want to justify Arai: I had motivation, a lot of faith and hope, what he did was transmit his wishes, as he did with Toro Rosso. we are not going to take such a big step forward, but they only convey their hopes. "

- "Maybe we sometimes fail to convey what we do, or it does not help to translate completely well"

https://www.elconfidencial.com/deportes ... a_1461180/

CBeck113
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Re: 2017 Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team - Renault

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NathanOlder wrote:
14 Oct 2017, 21:03
The teams know best on how challenging it is coming in for 1 race. So even if it looks like a driver may disappoint on TV, it may be far from the truth.

Example, Paul Di Resta, didnt do a great deal, was easily slower than Stroll yet after the race Williams praised him massively and he is well in contention for a 2018 race seat because of it.

If you read the praise on Di Resta without seeing the race or results, you would probably guess he finished in the points.
But Di Resta's mainly being praised for Daddy Stroll, who is also the main sponsor of Williams, and doesn't want to see his son being beaten by Robert.
“Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony!” Monty Python and the Holy Grail

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NathanOlder
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And Sky were full of praise. I know he works on sky tv but they are widely raising him on TV that is shown all around the world. So Di Resta is being praised by multiple sources and thats a Fact how ever you try and spin it
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His debut in F1
Hello Pierre, you are leaving this weekend to play the title in Japan, in Super Formula. Would you like that decision, knowing that you will find yourself in Formula 1 then, whatever happens?
Pierre Gasly: ​​For me, the two choices were exciting. On the one hand, the US Grand Prix of F1 would have allowed me to accumulate experience and prepare the suite better still. On the other hand, I will play the title in Japan. I am excited to be able to finish the work started and to have the opportunity to add a line to my record after the crown conquered in GP2 last year.

What tipped the scales on the Super Formula side in preparation for this weekend?
P.G .: Red Bull made the choice, in consultation with Honda. I think the title is important for the Japanese engine manufacturer and it is obviously for me too. I only miss a single Grand Prix of F1, while being able to concretize the work of a whole year.

Let's go back a few moments over the last three weeks, during which you lived your first two Grands Prix in Formula 1. How did you experience this great tourbillon?
P.G .: That was just amazing! Every minute of each day was pure happiness for me ... I dreamed of becoming an F1 driver since the age of six. As time went by, the dream was transformed into a career goal, and even a life goal.

It is not easy to realize what is happening ... It is only when I returned to France, after Suzuka, that I finally realized what had just happened . Before that, I was so focused that I did not have time to become aware of the events. F1 is still another dimension. It was necessary to build his weekend session after session, then I had to manage the craze that occurred in Malaysia when I switched from reserve pilot to incumbent pilot, it was quite incredible!

You dreamed of it since your childhood, so you had time to imagine yourself a lot of things ... Was it consistent, better or worse than what you expected?
P.G .: It was clearly up to what I expected ... and even better! When I was 8 or 9 years old, I was watching a driver like Fernando Alonso on television and I obviously could not imagine being with him in F1 one day ...

Today I see what I have always wanted to live, that is, having the chance to fight with the best pilots in the world. It's the top level, and it's pure happiness.

On the other hand, and even if I had the experience of a reserve pilot, I did not expect the days to be loaded as a full-time pilot. There is the job of pilot, but also everything that has to be managed with the media and the sponsors. During a race weekend, I did not have a single time 20 minutes for me, to rest, it is really non-stop from Thursday to Sunday night.

As a result, Mondays must be difficult, when fatigue is felt ...
P.G.: On the first Monday, after Malaysia, I did not feel it too much because I was amazed by what I had just experienced. In addition, I was already focused on Japan. I relaxed after Japan and there the stroke was quite enormous.

We saw you very serene during these two race weekends. Was this really the case, internally?
P.G .: Curiously, yes. I was not over-confident but I felt very good. I came where I wanted to be. I had been aware for years that all the experience I was accumulating was necessary in order to be ready the day I arrived in F1. Somewhere, I had only to repeat the same actions. Of course, the ladder is much higher, the expectations too, as well as the performance of the car, but I already felt ready after being titled in GP2 and so I arrived in Malaysia telling me it was enough to act in the same way to achieve performance.

I am a hard worker, a competitor, so there was no revolution to consider or any additional pressure to put on. Sincerely, I have felt a lot more pressure in my career than in recent weeks. The Red Bull sector generates a lot of pressure. So, I did not feel any additional stress when I arrived in Sepang.

Have you ever been a spectator of what you were experiencing, alongside pilots like Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso?
P.G .: Not really. As a reserve pilot, I was already a bit familiar with them, for example by participating in the pilot briefing. I was already in the paddock, so I had already spent even one evening with them. Lewis (Hamilton) and Kimi (Räikkönen) are the only two drivers I had not discussed with Malaysia before, but I found myself next to Lewis and we exchanged a few minutes for the first time .

I was 9 or 10 when he arrived in F1, so it's impressive. That said, these drivers are like everyone else and then, during the race, we totally ignore the names that are in other cars ...

What current driver inspires you most, in terms of steering or approach to work?
P.G .: I think to be the best performer, do not try to look like someone. If we do this and we do it, we will always do a little less well than the pilot taken as a model. So I try to do what seems to me the best and most intelligent thing to do, always giving me 200%.

On the current grid, there are many different drivers. Lewis has a lot of talent, Max (Verstappen) too, Vettel is probably more rigorous in his approach, just like Daniel (Ricciardo). I'm not inspired, but I know the strengths and weaknesses of each.

What was your greatest satisfaction with these first Grands Prix?
P.G .: I made no mistake, except for a small foul in qualifying in Japan. So I had a lot of experience on weekends not simple, during which the rain disrupted the program. I am also proud of my qualification in Malaysia because, despite a bad seat, I was already very close to Carlos (Sainz).

Is there any comment that has particularly affected you in recent weeks?
P.G .: Vettel said I was a quick driver and deserved his place in F1. Coming from a world champion, it's always fun!

Do you have an anecdote to tell about these two races?
PG: If I had been told that my first F1 race would be in Malaysia, on one of the most physical paths in the championship, and I would be deprived of drink throughout the race, I 'probably would not have accepted! (Laughter) It is still a place where you lose up to 3 liters of water in the body during the race ... But the pipette came out of my hood even before the race and when j I wanted to drink, the water flowed directly into my neck!


His relationship with Honda
The GP2 had already prepared you well for F1. What will the Super Formula bring you this season?
P.G .: Any new experience is good to take. When we find ourselves in unprecedented situations, the challenge is present, we must try to react in the best way. I knew nothing about the car, I discovered all the circuits and I had to adapt quickly in a rather special context.

However, in F1, it is always necessary to be able to adapt as quickly as possible to conditions, cars always different from one year to another. So it was a good exercise this season, in a competition where cars are super performing. This is clearly what is closest to the F1 today in terms of aerodynamic loads, besides there are ex-F1 drivers, drivers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, or pilots who have 15 years of experience in the discipline. I will definitely come out grown and better driver than 12 months ago.

So you worked with Honda this year and if everything goes well, it should continue next year in F1 with Toro Rosso. What is your relationship with people at Honda?
P.G .: Clearly, it's a real plus for me to have worked with Honda this year when they arrive at Toro Rosso. Everything is very different from them: their culture of course, but also their communication, their method of work.

It took me a while to figure out how to work well with them this season. Now I know a lot better how to communicate with them. With this experience, I hope to have the opportunity to evolve with them next year in F1.

In practical terms, what is different in their approach to what we know in Europe?
P.G .: They are not used to being too hard, too direct. The Japanese always communicate in a constructive way and should never be pointed at them. They tend to say yes to everything, while they are not in agreement ... To make sure that we are on the same wavelength, we must sometimes check things ten times rather than just one.

Is it necessary, however, to accept that things sometimes take longer to settle?
P.G .: Absolutely. They attach great importance to the hierarchy: as long as the boss has not given his green light, nothing can move. Clearly, decision-making is not as fast as we are.

Obviously, Honda appreciates you especially. We imagine that is obviously very pleasant?
P.G .: Sure, I really had a very good year with them in Japan. And the performances are there too, since I am now second in Super Formula and only Honda driver in the top 8.

I won two races for them and our relationship developed well. I know that today I have great support from them and it gives me great pleasure, because it was not necessarily the case at the beginning of the season when I arrived there. The links are strong and this can only help me in the future.

Yamamoto San, one of Honda's bosses, came to see me several times. I also visited them in Tokyo, where all the engineers greeted me and congratulated me on my performance.

His future
Do you feel confident about the Toro Rosso-Honda project and confident about what your 2017 experience will bring you?
P.G .: Yes, I clearly believe in this project. They are perfectionists who, moreover, want to prove that they are capable of succeeding. There's probably a question of honor for them after a rather complicated three-year relationship with McLaren. Today, they want to show that they can regain their luster of yesteryear (when they won several titles with McLaren, editor's note).

They have made significant progress over the last six months compared to the previous two years. Of course, it is also necessary to be objective: catching up the delay taken on other engine manufacturers does not happen overnight. We'll see where Toro Rosso and Honda will be in early 2018, but it will take time.

Honda needs development time. They invest a lot of money. Personally, I am not an engineer, nor do I know the secrets of Mercedes. Honda must work hard to find the magic recipe for their engine. What I can do for myself is to maintain the best possible relationship in order to optimize our package. Communicate with the engineers at the best and remain constructive, while of course getting the most out of what you have.

This year, you will compete for the Grand Prix of Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi. A positive sign for the rest of your career?
P.G.: Red Bull and Toro Rosso are clearly satisfied after these first two Grands Prix, so for the moment everything happens very well. Their instructions are simple, to date: to give the maximum, to gain experience and therefore not to make mistake.

Brendon Hartley will replace you at Toro Rosso in Austin. Do you know him well?
P.G .: He is of the generation above me, I know that he was a Red Bull pilot at one time and I only heard good of him during those years. I do not know why he did not get his chance in F1 earlier, but we do not win the 24 Hours of Le Mans by chance ... And then he is New Zealand, so he must be super cool!

Is it complicated for you to return this weekend in Super Formula after having tasted the F1?
P.G .: I will probably have a few laps during the free practice to have the car again in hand. But for the rest, I am focused on my goal. The opportunity is excellent and we will therefore approach this weekend like the others, methodically. I hope we can win the title!

The fact of having rolled Suzuka in F1 recently will help you for this race of Superformula, which will take place on the same route?
P.G .: Yes, it is always a good thing to be able to drive on a track longer. But it will not be the day and night in comparison with the other drivers. I hope to be able to reach the limit faster but we are all at that level and it will not play so much in the end.

If everything goes as planned, you should play the 2018 F1 season with Toro Rosso. How important will the Grand Prix played this year in the discipline?
P.G .: It is mostly a question of experience. This will allow me to know exactly what to expect, especially vis-à-vis the work to be done during free practice sessions in order to prepare the car for the best. I can also better manage the start of qualifying, and this experience also allows me to better understand the window of use of tires, which is very narrow in Formula 1.

A pilot has a lot of procedures to repeat over a weekend and the more you repeat these things, the more automatic it becomes. So it's a good thing to be here already at the end of the season, as well as for the relationship between the team and me.

http://minute-auto.fr/actu/interview-pierre-gasly

Sonador
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AMG.Tzan wrote:
15 Oct 2017, 12:53
Since they want to test a driver for next year...why don't they just run Antonio Felix Da Costa?? I've been waiting for a moment like this just to see what he is capable of in F1! But to be fair Red Bull must know a bit better than us on who to choose! I really hope Hartley can perform well!!
Maybe put Kobayashi in this year, in preperations for next year?

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NathanOlder
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Why not go crazy mext year and put a local driver in for each race alongside Gasly. So maybe lots of drivers for the year. And in a country where no drivers have a licence, put Kvyat in.

Australia . Will Power
Bahrain .
China .
Azerbaijan.
Spain . Mehri
Monaco . Leclerc
Canada .
France . Pagenaud
Austria .
Britain . Rowland
Germany . Lotterer
Hungary .
Belgium . D'Ambrosio
Italy . Giovinazzi
Singapore .
Russia . Sirotkin
Japan . Konayashi
USA . Rossi
Mexico. Gutierez
Brazil. Di Grassi
Abu Dhabi.

I know this would never happen, but it would gove toro rosso some huge publicity and a step out of the red bull shadow
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Vasconia
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NathanOlder wrote:
19 Oct 2017, 23:33
Why not go crazy mext year and put a local driver in for each race alongside Gasly. So maybe lots of drivers for the year. And in a country where no drivers have a licence, put Kvyat in.

Australia . Will Power
Bahrain .
China .
Azerbaijan.
Spain . Mehri
Monaco . Leclerc
Canada .
France . Pagenaud
Austria .
Britain . Rowland
Germany . Lotterer
Hungary .
Belgium . D'Ambrosio
Italy . Giovinazzi
Singapore .
Russia . Sirotkin
Japan . Konayashi
USA . Rossi
Mexico. Gutierez
Brazil. Di Grassi
Abu Dhabi.

I know this would never happen, but it would gove toro rosso some huge publicity and a step out of the red bull shadow
I find it very very interesting and as you have said it would give an inmense publicity to TR.

Manoah2u
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Re: 2017 Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team - Renault

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Nobody would drive and it would hurt the team and the drivers.
"Explain the ending to F1 in football terms"
"Hamilton was beating Verstappen 7-0, then the ref decided F%$& rules, next goal wins
while also sending off 4 Hamilton players to make it more interesting"

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NathanOlder
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Id be surprised if the drivers i named wouldn't jump at the chance to have 1 race in a midfield car in their home grand prix.

I agree it would hurt the team as its never going to be as strong as 1 driver all season BUT........ Kvyat for 18!? That is as --- as Kimi in the ferrari or massa in the williams for another year. If they cant replace Kvyat next year for someone decent, then it wouldn't be such a bad idea.
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Manoah2u
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Re: 2017 Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team - Renault

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Kvyat is suspiciously smiling for racing just 1 race this season lol.

Hey, who knows, we might get to see 2018 Gasly already dumped and switched with Hartley, imagine that.
2018: Brendan Hartley & Daniil Kvyat
"Explain the ending to F1 in football terms"
"Hamilton was beating Verstappen 7-0, then the ref decided F%$& rules, next goal wins
while also sending off 4 Hamilton players to make it more interesting"

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