Toro Rosso had a successful Canadian Grand Prix which saw them grab 4 points with Sebastien Buemi, moving the team ahead of Williams to seventh in the constructor’s standings.
Buemi actually led one lap of the race and overtook a seven-time world champion in an eventful afternoon in Montreal. Speaking after the race, the Swiss driver sounded very pleased with his day’s efforts.
“I am super happy to have scored four points because we did not expect that much,” said Buemi. “The team did an excellent job, especially during the pit stops and also the strategy was spot on.
“I enjoyed some fights, including passing Schumacher which was difficult because, even though we were on the same tyres, with his being older than mine, he is a real fighter.
“Generally it was a tough afternoon, because there was a lot of degradation which is why we planned to make three pit stops; something we are not used to. The other worry I had was a broken exhaust from quite early on.
“I also enjoyed leading the race for a lap, which was a nice feeling. I hope this means my season will really kick off now, because I have not had much luck and the team has been working really hard. It feels so much better to have had a “normal” race today.
“Eighth place, leading the race and passing Michael. What a day!”
Toro Rosso’s other driver, Jaime Alguersuari, did not have such a successful day, finishing down in twelfth. “On the positive side, I finished the race,” said the Spaniard. “It was a tough afternoon which did not go so well for me, even if I was involved in a lot of exciting incidents and moves.
“The best point for me is that the team once again gave me a reliable car with which I could finish the race and gain more valuable experience. So now, I'm already looking forward to Valencia, another race on Spanish soil.”
Franz Tost, the Toro Rosso team principal, was very pleased with Buemi’s performance, and said that the team have a bit of a soft spot for Canada: “I like coming to Montreal because Toro Rosso always seems to pick up points here and today we did it again, with the added pleasure of seeing one of our cars lead the race, albeit briefly.
“It was an exciting race for us, not entirely for the right reasons, as with forty laps to go, we saw that the exhaust was broken on Buemi's car and we were concerned that he might not finish the race. Sebastien did a fantastic job, as did the entire team, because the engineers produced a good set-up on both cars and our strategy was absolutely correct.
“The four points Sebastien brought home today are very important for us as it means we move ahead of Williams in the Constructors' championship even if we are equal on points and they are also important for him, as he has had some bad luck so far this season and hopefully from now on he can deliver more good results. This was the first time here for both our drivers.
“Congratulations to the team here at the track, at the factory in Faenza and the wind tunnel in Bicester for their excellent work which has delivered this result.”
