Austrian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

More quotes, these ones from Toro Rosso drivers Daniil Kvyat and Jean-Eric Vergne.

Jean-Eric Vergne - "I have never raced at this track before, but I did drive it last year in a Formula One Show Car run for Red Bull at a Renault World Series event. I remember the race was very exciting. The track is short, but really nice and I am sure it will make for a very interesting race this weekend. It will be an important event for us as part of the Red Bull family and so I hope we will perform well. We have to consider it as a sort of home race for Toro Rosso."

Daniil Kvyat - "This is one of my favourite circuits. I raced here in Formula Renault Alps and had two wins there in 2012. I had a great weekend and really loved the track. Last year I went back to the Red Bull Ring with Formula 3 this time and again I had great memories taking three poles out of three, followed by three second places in the races. It's my kind of track, with heavy braking points and it is quite a technical track. It has some fast and medium speed corners which I really enjoy. Hopefully the STR9 will go well there. The scenery is beautiful, typical Austrian nature! It's going to be a big weekend for the Red Bull family, but I will be concentrating on the usual jobs of getting everything sorted and finding the right set-up from first free practice, having the right approach and seeing how it goes. You need to find a good balance there as there are some reasonably long straights. But it's mainly about high speed corners which is where you find most of the lap time."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Canadian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Next quotes come from the Toro Rosso drivers.

Jean-Eric Vergne - “The Gilles Villeneuve circuit is definitely very hard on the cars. I had a very good Grand Prix there last year and I will be trying for a repeat performance this time, although finishing sixth, like I did in 2013 will not be easy. It is very demanding on the brakes, because of the hard braking areas after fast sections and you also need good top speed because of the long straight down the back. So you run less aero there. I’m looking forward to the weekend, as I like going to Montreal, which is a really cool city and this event is on my personal podium for the best races of the year. People say the track is dangerous and maybe that’s part of its appeal. I find the circuits where the barriers are a hundred metres away from the track a bit dull. Taking a corner flat out, right on a knife edge, with walls to your left and right is a completely different feeling to going flat out where you know that if you go off you have several hundred metres of run-off. The last corner here before the pit straight is a good example. It’s a nice corner, as it’s quick and you have to jump two big kerbs, so it feels a bit like going back to one’s karting days, throwing the car around at high speed. It’s a work of art getting it right.”

Daniil Kvyat - “The Gilles Villeneuve Circuit is another one on the calendar where I have never raced before and Canada is another country that will be new to me. In preparation, I watched a few Canadian Grands Prix on television, especially the on-board footage and a few days ago, I spent several hours in the simulator preparing for it. My first impression is that it’s going to be an interesting weekend. The track has a lot of stop and go sections, as well as the hairpin and chicanes. It’s going to be challenging and as always, it’s going to be about finding the right rhythm and putting the lap together. It’s a bit like Monaco, as there is not much run-off area, but after my first experience of Monaco nothing seems difficult now! All I know about Canada is that it’s a beautiful place and like us Russians they are mad keen on ice-hockey, so I hope to visit the Montreal hockey stadium if I have time.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

New quotes from Toro Rosso!

Jean-Eric Vergne - “It’s something of a home race for me, given there is no French Grand Prix on the calendar for the moment. Actually, I can really tell myself that I’m at home, because I stay in Menton for this race, which is really across the “border” in France! I have raced there twice in Formula One and both times I performed well. I think it is one of the hardest races and you should always arrive there in a humble state of mind and never expect anything just because things went well the previous year. I am not going there being overconfident. You have to work hard all weekend and not make any mistakes and it requires far higher levels of concentration from the beginning to the end of the weekend. We will certainly be busy in the cockpit this year, but by now we are used to all the new jobs we have to do in the car. I enjoy the weekend a lot, with everything that goes on, even if, as a driver, I live in a bubble over the weekend, not going to the Casino or eating out in restaurants. But it’s great fun to be racing in a place like this.”

Daniil Kvyat - 

“Monaco for me will be an absolutely new experience. Not only have I never raced there, I have never even been there on a visit. Of course, I have watched a lot of races from Monaco on TV and a lot of on-board footage. But it will really be a step into the unknown for me, even if I have now driven it on the simulator. In fact, I have never raced on any street circuit. I am really looking forward to the weekend, mainly from a driving point of view, but I also want to find out what it is that makes this race such a special event for all fans of motor sport.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Spanish GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Next preview quotes are from Toro Rosso!

Jean-Eric Vergne - “This race marks the start of the European season and it’s very important from one point of view - no more jet lag and a lot less flying! It’s also a circuit that all the drivers know very well, having raced there many times in the junior categories and so usually the gaps between the teams are a bit smaller than at other tracks. I like it and have good memories from winning races there in the past. It’s the sort of track where the global picture of the car makes the difference, in terms of its balance and aero package, as it’s not particularly demanding on the brakes or engine. I like the city of Barcelona, it’s got a good vibe to it and, on top of that, it’s not so far from France, so quite a few fans make the trip for this first race in Europe.”

Daniil Kvyat - “Like all the drivers, I have spent a lot of time at this circuit, racing and testing. I’ve had some good results there, I particularly remember a Eurocup race in 2011, when I started from 20th and finished third. There were also some painful memories, when I lost the Eurocup there one year later, but overall, I have learned many valuable lessons at the Catalunya circuit. I’m looking forward to being back in Europe and having some shorter flights. It will all feel more familiar to me. Here at this track, you need to find the right compromise between the high speed and slow sections, so finding the right balance in the set-up is the key to a quick lap. I have no idea how the track will suit the STR9, except that so far this year, we have been okay in the high-speed corners. We won’t know until Friday.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Quotes made by Drivers.

Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Next quotes come from Toro Rosso.

Jean-Eric Vergne - "A very interesting circuit with a wide variety of corners and a really long straight that provides great opportunities for overtaking. Doing a qualifying lap here is great fun, dealing with challenges like turn 1, which you approach flat, before the corner just goes on and on. It means it is also demanding on tyres and from a driver’s point of view, it is one of the better ones to drive. However, it’s a shame the circuit is so far away from the city, because we never really get any time to visit what is a fascinating place. So it’s a case of just getting to the track, doing the race and going home."

Daniil Kvyat - "I’ve never been to China, so I am interested to discover something about this country and also the circuit. I’ve watched lots of Shanghai Formula One races on TV to get an idea of the track and after Bahrain I was also able to drive it on the simulator. I was disappointed to finish just outside the points at the last race and, after learning a lot about the car at the post-Bahrain test, I hope we can aim for another top ten finish this weekend, on what looks like a really challenging track. Away from the circuit, I’ve heard the Chinese fans are very welcoming. I will be interested to try Chinese food too!"

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

 Here are the quotes from Toro Rosso!

Jean-Eric Vergne - “Sakhir will be the first track this year where we have already driven the latest car, as we had the two test sessions there. Regarding the new cars, from the cockpit, despite all the technical changes, they are not so different to drive, when compared to the 2013 models. You still have a steering wheel, a throttle and a brake! There are a few aspects of your driving that you have to adapt, but the real changes are on the Power Unit side, in terms of when and how you will work to save fuel during the race, compared to going flat out on a qualifying lap. I think this year’s Grand Prix here will be quite special, as it is the first time we will drive this circuit at night under lights. I think that will be cool, and it will bring a special atmosphere to this race, looking a bit like Qatar for the MotoGP race. The track itself presents nothing out of the ordinary, with the usual aero compromise so that the car is quick down the straight, but still has enough downforce for all the corners.”

Daniil Kvyat - “It’s a nice circuit, good for testing and racing with its long straights and hard braking, as well as a mix of corners and challenging ones like Turn 10. I am looking forward to racing there, as it will be the first track I will drive on this year where I have already tested. But really, that doesn’t make much difference to my approach, because whatever track we go to, I should learn it quickly enough.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Quotes made by Drivers.

 

Malaysian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

 
Next quotes come from the Toro Rosso drivers!

Jean-Eric Vergne - “It’s not one of my favourite tracks to be honest, as I don’t feel it has any particularly challenging characteristics. The best thing about this race is its unpredictable nature, because of the weather: you can start on slicks and within a few laps, you need extreme wets because of a heavy storm and that can be fun for a driver. The fans are very enthusiastic when we meet them at the autograph sessions and that is a nice feeling to realise there is so much support there. I have a happy memory of Sepang as it was here that I scored my first Formula One points.”

Daniil Kvyat - “The second race of the season is also the first track that I have visited before. I took my first ever single-seater win here for BMW in 2010 and actually this is also where I drove my very first single-seater race, so I have plenty of memories of this circuit. It’s going to seem very different this time, because there’s a huge step from Formula BMW to Formula One. The track itself is quite interesting, while the heat and humidity make it unique in that respect. I am sure I can be more confident this weekend, after experiencing my first race weekend in Melbourne combined with the fact I know the track. I like Malaysia and did some touristy things when I was there, like going up the Petronas towers and going to some beach resorts.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Quotes made by Drivers.

Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Next quotes come from the Toro Rosso team, with new driver Daniil Kvyat making his F1 debut in Melbourne!

Jean-Eric Vergne - “I really like this track as it has a great layout and its location in a park makes it a great place to be. From a driving perspective, it is like a street circuit but with every type of corner, including some high speed turns. I have always felt quite comfortable at this circuit but have not gone so well there in the past, so I’m hoping that it will be different this year, although who knows what we can expect as the championship starts. But I like coming to Australia and this is definitely one of my top three races of the year. Australia in a few words? Faraway, hot, and a bit mysterious.”

Daniil Kvyat - “I have never driven the Albert Park circuit, but I’ve watched lots of the races there and seen the on-board footage, so I have a reasonable idea what to expect. The track is unusual and looks tricky. It will be my first time in Australia and I’m looking forward to that, especially as Daniel (Ricciardo) and his trainer Stuart are both from there and keep going on about how great it is. I hope to find time to visit the city. I’ll have to get a fridge magnet to add to my collection! As to how the race might go, it’s much too early to say, after just six days in the car in winter testing. This year, no one has any idea what to expect as you can tell from what happened in Jerez and Bahrain. It should be very interesting and I can’t wait to be on the grid for my first Grand Prix.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Daniil Kvyat completes Toro Rosso's 2014 Line Up.

Even though the 2013 season is still going on, we're always playing 'Silly Season' a fun guessing game of which driver will go where. One of the things that has been confirmed is that Daniil Kvyat is going to be driving alongside Jean-Eric Vergne on the Toro Rosso team in 2014.

Daniil is from Ufa, Russia and was born April 26th 1994, making him 19. He is the Championship Winner of this years GP3 series. He currently resides in Rome, Italy and lives with his family.

Although he is young, he is already showing great promise by being a Champion of GP3. Many of the current Formula1 drivers have expressed that adding 'Young' or 'Rookie' drivers is going to be dangerous. I think most of that assumption is because the drivers will be using Turbo engines next year. It is an interesting time for younger drivers to be joining in, but I feel that Daniil will do very well on the team.
Daniil is not the only young Russian driver being added in the F1 line up. Sergey Sirotkin has a good chance of securing his seat at Sauber if he gets his Super-License.
More information on the 2014 Driver Line up to come!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.