Pierre Gasly reasoned that the Toro Rosso F1 team needs to re-invent itself , if it wants to push further for a better position.
The team’s performance was disappointing in the last Grand Prix of Brazil, where they couldn’t find a place in top 10. Brendon Hartley managed to gain eleventh position while Gasly was thirteen on the driver standing of Brazilian GP.
The French driver was confused and disappointed at his standing. He points out that the reason for failure lies through-out how the team works and how different sections are integrated for performance. The problem doesn’t lie with a particular section but rather with how they manage and integrate different sections at Toro Rosso.
“We know the track [in Brazil] is really power sensitive, especially with the uphill section in the last straight, but it’s fair to say that we’re quite disappointed with the overall performance,” explained Gasly.
“Not in qualifying – it was fantastic to make it to Q3, which wasn’t easy at all, but in the race we showed really poor performance.
“At the moment I don’t really have the answers. We need to revise everything.”
Honda’s Engine
Gasly didn’t rejected the Honda’s power plant role in performance deficit in Brazil. But he rejected the idea that it was the sole reason for their failure.
“We tried to go down with the downforce to compensate but that makes you struggle a bit more in the corners, you slide a bit more, the degradation goes up,” he said.
“When you have the advantage with the engine you make the time in the straights, and with the gap that you made, you can make the corners a bit slower and have a good lap in the end, but putting less energy through the tyres – and a lot less temperature into the tyres.
“At the moment there is still a deficit to Mercedes and Ferrari engines, I think it puts us with Renault and a bit more difficult situation.”
He answered to question whether Honda need to progress faster with their engines: “I know that’s what they’re doing at the moment.
“There’s nothing more we can do – we know where we lack performance at the moment, they know it, and they’re really objective about it.
“They’re doing everything they can ahead of next year, testing things, so I’m sure we’re going to get some upgrades for next year – not for the next race in Abu Dhabi”.