Scuderia Toro Rosso are hopeful they will be able to end the 2019 Formula 1 season on a high, by securing points in the final race at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
Frenchman Pierre Gasly knows the race will be important if they are going to be in with any chance of finishing near the top in the Constructors’ Championship. He is also determined to secure a good result in the Constructors’ standings.
“It’s the last race of the season so it’s a special weekend,” explained Gasly. “It’s going to be very important for all of us at Toro Rosso as we want to finish as high as possible in the Constructors’ Championship, I’m also in with a chance of ending up as the best driver from outside the top three teams in the Drivers’ classification.
“We want to end the season in a good way, not just for our pride, but also because where you finish in the championship has an impact on our development work and our performance level for next season,” he said.
Gasly added that regardless how his race turns out, he is overall happy with his performance after being demoted from Red Bull Racing midway through the season.
“Whatever happens on Sunday, I will be happy about how this season has gone, particularly my return to Toro Rosso in the middle of the year, and I will never forget my first visit to an F1 podium after coming second in Brazil. But I will also enjoy having some time off once the racing is over.”
Russian driver Daniil Kyvat said he is looking forward to the weekend, the circuit reminding him of when he won the GP3 title in 2013.
“I like coming here and have good memories of winning the GP3 title in 2013 with a victory in the feature race, knowing I would be joining Toro Rosso the following year. It was a great moment, obviously and very happy days.”
Kvyat is also keen to finish with a good result, adding that he finds the track a challenge.
“This last race will be another opportunity to get a good result to end the season on a high. I always enjoy the Yas Marina track, to be honest, even though it has those huge run-off areas but still, the configuration itself is quite interesting. We can play around with the lines quite a lot there. The third sector is pretty challenging.
“We race under the floodlights, which is cool and I enjoy the whole business of racing at night. The track provides a few overtaking opportunities too and I will push as hard as I can to have a good race to end the year,” said the Russian.
