Carlos Sainz Jr finished fourth fastest for Scuderia Toro Rosso on the third day of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya, completing 132 laps before a minor electrical fault curtailed his day in the final hour.
The Spaniard got through a number of different tests on different compounds of Pirelli tyre, and set a best lap time of 1m24.191s, just over 1.1 seconds adrift of Lewis Hamilton’s session topping time.
Sainz felt the days running for him was just the confidence boost he needed especially when the next time he ventures out on track will be in practice for the Australian Grand Prix.
“This was the sort of day we needed and it went really well,” insisted Sainz. “It means we can go to Melbourne with a boost to our confidence.
“This afternoon was particularly productive, after we had a couple of minor difficulties in the morning. The race simulation went well and overall we did a high mileage, which is obviously the most important thing.”
Sainz thanked the team for helping him adjust to the car, and is excited for the first race of the new season in Australia in two weeks time.
“I’d like to thank the team for all their efforts during this pre-season period, as they helped me learn a lot every time I jumped in the car,” said Sainz.
“Two weeks from tomorrow I will take part in my first Grand Prix: I am looking forward to it and I feel ready, especially after this test. Clearly, I’m very excited that it’s all about to start.”
