Toro Rosso driver Brendon Hartley says he has been boosted by his qualifying performances in Formula 1 this year – an aspect that will be vital at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Hartley made his debut at short notice towards the end of 2017, giving him little time to adapt to the nuances of Formula 1.
But the off-season allowed Hartley to understand the complexities of the sport, and he expanded on his improved feeling in qualifying, with grid position crucial at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
“Qualifying is very important at this track, because overtaking is not so easy,” said Hartley, who scored his maiden point in Azerbaijan.
“So far this year, I’ve been relatively happy with my qualifying performance, especially compared to last year, when I had not yet developed an understanding of how to get the most out of the tyres.
“Now, I feel like I’m understanding the car and tyres more and more and that’s given me a lot more confidence going into qualifying sessions.
“It’s one of the most fun parts of the weekend because all the fuel load comes off, the rubber goes down and that’s when these cars really come alive.
“Tyre management will be very important at this track because, even on a qualifying lap, you have to keep the rears alive for that last sector where you need the traction.
“You can easily destroy the rear tyres through that first part with all the high-speed corners but it’s one of the challenges of getting the most out of the qualifying lap.”
Toro Rosso team-mate Pierre Gasly echoed Hartley’s sentiments.
“Qualifying is the key, as we know it’s complicated trying to overtake in the race, other than by playing with the strategy,” said Gasly.
“F1 qualifying is always a difficult discipline with the way it’s run in different segments, as you generally only get two shots at it.
“And if you encounter any problems, like traffic, then you’re down to just one chance to deliver and that’s an exciting moment because you know you have to nail it.”
