Gasly, Hartley downcast after point-less home F1 race for Honda

Toro Rosso Formula 1 drivers Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley made no secret of their di🍌sappointment after failing to score any points in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, the home race of team engine supplier Honda, despite both st💫arting inside the top 10.

Hartley and Gasly were two of the stand-out drivers in qualifying on Saturday at Suzuka as they secured Tor🐈o Rosso’s best grid positions of the year, taking P6 and P7 respectively.

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Gasly, Hartley downcast after point-less home race for Honda

Toro Rosso Formula 1 drivers Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley made no secret of their disappointment after failing to score any points in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, the h𒀰ome race of team engine supplier Honda, despite both starting inside the to⭕p 10.

Hartley and Gasly were two of the stand-out drivers in qualifying on Saturday at Suzuka as they secured Toro Rosso’s best grid positions of the year, taking P6 and P🀅7 respective𝓰ly.

The referenced media source is missing and needs to be re-embedded.

A poor start saw Hartley drop to 10th on the opening lap before fading o✤ut of the points, ultimately finishing 13th, while Gasly d꧑ropped down the order after struggling towards the end of both stints of the race. He was classified 11th at the chequered flag.

The result came as a ꧟disappointment to both drivers, who had hoped to deliver Honda’ꦬs first points at Suzuka since 2006.

“We had a good start, I managed to pass Brendon, [Sebastian] Vettel went through pretty quickly.𒊎 Then the first stint I felt pretty good with the Supersoft♚, I was close to Grosjean, both Force Indias behind us,” Gasly said.

"The first stint🧔 was good, I was P7, and then at the moment, I don’t know why we pitted so late, because I was seventh and then everybody started to pit. We stayed out on track and when we pitted I think I ⛦exited behind the two Force Indias, the two Saubers overtook me, one Williams overtook me.

“We fitted the Softs, which were good, I en🅘joyed the two or three overtakings I had after the pit stop, but really quickly we started to have massive blisters on the rear tyres and 20 laps to the end, I could feel lot of vibration and lot of blisters on the rear which just got worse🦩 and worse.

“The last 10 laps, I could not even see on the straight it was vibrating s🍸o much. So we could see a lot of energy and temperature on the rear tyre, was trying to survive to the end🐲, which was tough.”

Of his race, Hartley said: "I had really, reꦦally poor traction off the line, huge wheelspin, and consequently that massively overheated the tyres for the first five, six laps. I was really, really suffering with traction.

“This then massively overheated the tyres on the rear, and they’re so sensitive that this really affected the entire fi💧rst stint. I got them back into range, and atꦍ the end of the stint, the lap times started to be a bit more competitive.

“I could have stayed out a bit longer, but when we pitted, I was out behind both Williams. It took me quite a few laps to get past Lance Stroll. I did a good overtake on Sirotkin, and then I🍌 was stuck behind Marcus E﷽ricsson.

“I had a lot more pace, but with the traction issues that I had, I couldn’t make the overtak♚e, and I started to suffer with the blisters on the tyre a🙈t the end. I believe the other car had the same problem and suffered big time.

“I think we’re clearly disappointed not to have any car in the points after such a promising qualifyi💙ng yesterday.”

Gasly, Hartley downcast after point-less home race for Honda

Gasly was also frustrated after Toro Rosso was told it could not f𝓰ix a minor issue on his engine following qualifying on Saturday, despite initially receiving permission from the FIA to do so.

In the pre-race technical notes, it was confirmed that the “post shift ignition retard settings” had been changed on G♔asly’s car, only for Toro Rosso to ⭕be informed on the grid it had to change the settings back to qualifying-spec.

“I had some calibration issues, so I didn’t have the best setting and it was hurting the relia💛bility, was hurting the power, but also the reliability foꦍr the race,” Gasly said.

“It was a pret🍬ty big concern ahead of the race, so we asked them if we could change it. Then they first accepted, and then after they reverted.

“I was back [to] yesterday’s setting, which was a bit down on power a🐭nd not ideal for driveability ♑as well.”

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