Toro Rosso Team Principal Franz Tost labelled the outcome of the British Grand Prix as the “worst scenario” for the team, after its drivers collided on the opening lap.
Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz Jr. battled for position, though Kvyat drifted wide through Becketts, and collected Sainz Jr. as the pair rounded the left-hander.
Sainz Jr. retired on the spot while Kvyat pitted for repairs and was penalised for re-joining the track in an unsafe manner, which triggered the collision.
Kvyat disputed his drive-through penalty and suggested Sainz Jr. should have been more aware, while the Spaniard declined to offer his opinion.
Tost, though, was circumspect, and believes the pair’s actions robbed Toro Rosso of a potential top 10 finish.
“It was a big disappointment for the team because the worst scenario that can ever happen is the collision between teammates on the first lap of the race,” he said.
“This should not have happened.
“From a performance point of view, the car would’ve been able to finish within the top 10 – Daniil’s lap times were quite competitive, although the floor was damaged, as well as other parts on the car.
“We had to call him in to change the front wing and in parallel to this, we also changed the tyres to the Soft compound.
“We thought that he could maybe stay out longer, but then we had to do another pit-stop for the Supersoft.
“At the end we finished the race in P15, so with no points, but all we can do is forget about this race weekend and prepare ourselves in the best possible way for Hungary.”
Toro Rosso still holds sixth in the Constructors’ championship, albeit only four points clear of Haas, with Renault just a further three behind.
