Pierre Gasly believes Toro Rosso is “going in the right direction” as it continued to rack up milage on the first day of the second pre-season test.
The Frenchman posted the fifth-fastest time at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, continuing to showcase new engine supplier Honda’s progress over the winter.
However, his afternoon running was cut short after a brake system issue, limiting Gasly to complete just one lap to add to his morning tally. Despite the small setback, Gasly was encouraged by the cars performance.
“I think it was a really positive day,” said Gasly. “With the fifth-fastest time it’s always nice to set a good laptime.
“Of course it hasn’t been the easiest one. We had a small issue on the brake system so we didn’t run at all in the afternoon – which is a little bit annoying.
“We didn’t test as much as we would have liked, but I think we are going in the right direction. In terms of set-up we are improving so we need to keep pushing for the next three days.”
Asked how confident he felt about the teams performance heading to Melbourne, Gasly reckoned it was still too early to give an indication as to where the Faenza-based outfit lie compared to its rivals.
“The good thing is that we are improving day by day,” he added. “This is definitely positive. I think it’s quite early to compare with the others, no-one [has] really shown their full potential.
“We just try to focus on ourself, try to maximise the potential we have and I think we will find out in Melbourne who is the quickest.”
