Toro Rosso Tag

By FIA Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel set the quickest time of day two of the first pre-season Formula 1 test in Barcelona, outpacing Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas by three tenths of a second. McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne finished third on the timesheet a further three tenths back. The day began in muted fashion as overnight snow and rain meant conditions were tricky early on and many teams avoided significant running before the halfway point of running. One of those was Red Bull Racing, with the Milton Keynes team being restricted to the garageRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor The 2018 Formula One season is finally upon us. After the long winter break, all 10 teams hit the track this morning at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. While the full picture of who is competitive, who has got it right, and who has got it wrong won’t fully form till the end of testing next week, there are meaningful things we can gleam just from breaking down the first day’s running. The biggest caveat in doing so are two variables that made today’s runningRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Ferrari has revealed the signing of Daniil Kvyat as a development driver ahead of the 2018 Formula 1 season. The 23-year-old Russian moves over to the Italian squad after a difficult journey with Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso. In 2014, Kvyat impressed with Toro Rosso before getting the call to the senior team the following season. However, in 2016 he was dropped back to Red Bull’s junior team in favor of Max Verstappen after the fourth race. Unfortunately, the demotions would continue in 2017 asRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Kimi Raikkonen topped the time sheets for Ferrari on the first day of Pirelli’s Abu Dhabi tire test, where all 10 Formula One teams are evaluating the prospective 2018 tire compounds. The Finn clocked an impressive 1:37.768 on Pirelli’s new hypersoft compound, just three tenths ahead of Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull, and nearly a second ahead of World Champion Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton, who qualified and finished second behind team mate Valtteri Bottas on Sunday, hailed Pirelli’s hypersoft tires as the best tire Pirelli has made sinceRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor The most obvious stat from the Mexican Grand Prix is that Lewis Hamilton is now a four time World Champion. In doing so he has equaled his rival Sebastian Vettel, and Alain Prost. The only drivers with more titles remain Juan Manuel Fangio with five and Michael Schumacher with seven. The way Hamilton clinched the title was somewhat anticlimactic and his ninth place finish is the lowest finishing position any driver has ever held to clinch a championship, though Schumacher came close with an eighth placeRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief AUSTIN, Texas – Carlos Sainz is ready to begin the next chapter of his Formula One career with Renault for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. The 23-year-old Spaniard moved over to the Enstone-based squad after being at Scuderia Toro Rosso since 2015. Currently sitting ninth in the championship standings, Sainz put in a career-best effort of fourth at Singapore last month. The move will give Sainz four races with his new team in preparation for 2018. However, looking towards thisRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor After racing in Malaysia and Japan for Toro Rosso, 2016 Formula 2 (formerly GP2) champ Pierre Gasly is set to miss the U.S. Grand Prix in order to compete in the Super Formula season finale to try and add another series championship to his CV. Gasly temporarily replaced Daniil Kvyat in the team’s lineup and is expected to be paired with the Russian for 2018, but he is only half a point off the championship lead in Super Formula behind Toyota driver Hiroaki Ishiura. It isRead More

Listen to “Drafting The Circuits October 5, 2017” on Spreaker. Frank Santoroski and the Drafting the Circuits panel – Joey Barnes, Gray Warren, Richard Youden, Christopher DeHarde and Seth Eggert, with special guest Aaron Bearden – weigh in on the first elimination round of the NASCAR playoffs, and has an in-depth conversation about the Malaysian Grand Prix and other stories within Formula One. Credits: Host – Frank Santoroski DTC Panel – Joey Barnes, Seth Eggert, Christopher DeHarde, Gray Warren, Richard Youden & Aaron Bearden Producers – Anthony Arnold & Keith Hayes Special thanks to Whoobazoo forRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Carlos Sainz came from 10th on the grid to survive a treacherous and wet Singapore Grand Prix to finish just off the podium in fourth-place – his best ever in Formula One. Oddly enough the result comes on the heels of the announcement of Sainz set to go to Renault next season, and with additional rumors of a potential switch as early as next round in Malaysia. However, the 23-year-old Spaniard was beyond overjoyed with the banner outcome. “WOW,” said an emotionally charged Sainz. “What aRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Carlos Sainz’s widely reported move from Toro Rosso to Renault is apparently in the form of a “loan” which at least in theory, Red Bull can take back if they need or desire to. With the top Red Bull team filled and Pierre Gasly coming to take his place at Toro Rosso it is likely that Sainz will stay at Renault after 2018, but it is not guarunteed. Should Honda continue to be a disaster in 2018 and Red Bull be forced to take their enginesRead More