Scuderia Toro Rosso: Ups and downs in the first free practices of the season

Sebastian Vettel (STR2B-04)

"The track was really very dirty this morning, but the grip then improved radically, changing continuously throughout the day and will be like this until Sunday. It's the classic case of the harder the better, as far as the car. In the first session, I mostly focused on relearning the track, given that last year I only drove here for two sessions. There are two or three areas in which we can improve tomorrow and then we'll see how exactly we are doing. The tires generally suffer quite a bit on a dirty track, but today the high ambient temperature probably helped.
However, when the track is properly rubberised and in good condition, the heat could turn into a problem for the life of the tyres."

First free practice session
Best lap 1'28''957, pos. 9th, 22 laps

Second free practice session
Best lap 1'29''193, pos. 18th, 40 laps

Sebastien Bourdais (STR2B-03)

"This morning's test session took place without problems, so I was able to dedicate myself to learning the track for the first time. This afternoon, we had comparative tire tests scheduled, also carrying out long run simulations, but unfortunately there were It was a problem that kept me in the garage for quite a long time. I believe, however, that this is part of the game, which in F.1 involves having to deal with alternating ups and downs.
This is a nice track, but obviously it was very dirty at the beginning although, as we expected, it subsequently evolved very quickly. We'll have to see how it goes tomorrow. Obviously, already in the morning we will have track conditions more similar to those we will have in the afternoon in qualifying and also in the race on Sunday. So let's hope we can run smoothly when it really counts."

First free practice session
Best lap 1'29''363, pos. 14th, 32 laps
Second free practice session
Best lap 1'29''605, pos. 20th, 11 laps