Bahrain I, Day 2: Toro Rosso test report

The sixth day of testing in 2014, the second at this Bahrain test, saw the STR9 complete an encouraging 58 laps, in warm but windy conditions at the circuit that will host the third round of the World Championship on 6 April. With Jean-Eric Vergne taking over in the cockpit, the team managed to get through a lot of work, beginning to get an understanding of the aerodynamic behaviour of the car, evaluating a couple of rear wings and acquiring important data relating to cooling. In addition, the respectable number of laps allowed for a first assessment of a couple of the Pirelli compounds, on what is a far more representative track than Jerez, scene of the first test. A problem on the car curtailed its running towards the end of the day, although Vergne was able to go out right at the end of the session to check that the repairs had been successful. Tomorrow, Daniil Kvyat takes over at the wheel.

Jean-Eric Vergne: “A good day, the best since testing began. This morning was relatively trouble free and we got through plenty of items on the job sheet. However, later in the day, we did experience a few minor technical troubles, that cut short our running time. It’s the first time I’ve been able to push the car on track and I have to say in terms of its balance, it gave me a good feeling. I hope that, as from tomorrow, when Daniil drives, we can start doing more and more kilometres.”