Formula 1 | Toro Rosso ready for redemption: “Spielberg essential appointment”

After the heavy zero in Le Castellet, Toro Rosso is ready to fly to Austria for the ninth round of this 2018 Formula One world championship. The Scuderia di Faenza hopes to make up for the misstep made in France, realizing all the opportunities that fall into the hands of Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley. We remind you that the Frenchman has already raced on this track, specifically in GP2, while for the New Zealander it will be his absolute debut at the Red Bull Ring.

Here are the words of Brendon Hartley: “This is a great race for us, it's Red Bull's home race. It's a track I've raced at in LMP2 and I really like it. The funny thing is that when I was a child, I used to play Grand Prix 3 and Grand Prix 4 on the computer and for some reason, this was my favorite track to race on. At the time it was known as A1 Ring, I have known it well since I was 10 years old and played with it on the computer: who knows, maybe because children have a short attention span and the ride here is very short! I think it's an exciting race for the whole Red Bull family, because there will be a lot of fans at this race and I'm looking forward to the weekend, because we also have an update coming to the front wing."

“This place is quaint, with has a lot of history, and the scenery is beautiful”, he added. “Although short, this remains a challenging track, quite fast in the central section, as are the last two corners. The straights aren't very long here, so every lap is challenging with little chance to breathe. And with so many laps to do, it's certainly a race that keeps you fit! Braking is also important. Much of a driver's work is in the braking phase, because it influences the entire course of the curve and the exit phase. The moment we step on the brake pedal – and the way we use it – has consequences on the behavior of the car. All these things start as soon as you step on the brake pedal.”

“There are some difficult areas, in particular turn five: downhill braking where it is really very easy to lock the wheels, unlike the previous corner where you brake uphill, where you have greater potential because you have gravity on your side. All this is part of the complexity of getting the most out of a Formula 1 car."he concluded.

Here are Pierre Gasly's impressions: “After my home race, this weekend will be the team's home race. Even though we are an Italian team, in fact, we are part of the Austrian Red Bull family. In the junior categories I achieved some podium finishes on this track, which is really fast and has several straights."

“I remember racing there in GP2 as a Red Bull Junior Driver and I received a lot of support, as it's basically Red Bull weekend", he added. “So, now, I can't wait to live the experience of being a Formula 1 driver. I think it will be a special weekend, after having experienced the great support during my home race, I expect to also find in Austria a great atmosphere and great sensations. We hope to be competitive, because I want to get a good result. The tour is really short: it travels under a minute and ten seconds. It's a very fast race with many laps to go. I tend to prefer tracks with lots of corners, but at least the straights offer some overtaking opportunities."

“I like fast corners and there are several in the central sector of the track: taking into account the levels of downforce we have this year and the records broken on every track we've raced on so far, I think it could be a great weekend from a driving point of view. I can appreciate the location, which is really beautiful, but I have to admit that I'm more of a city boy!”he concluded.