Toro Rosso is setting its sights on getting into the final part of qualifying after a solid start in preparations for the Monaco Grand Prix during Thursday's practice sessions.
Both Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley were encouraged by the pace of the STR13 around the streets of Monte Carlo after ending both practice sessions on the fringes of the top 10.
"In terms of performance, I think straight away we were in the top 10 on the Hypersoft, said Hartley "We finished the morning P12, but running on the harder compound tyre which looked positive.
"In the afternoon, I was 11th on the Hypersoft which is promising, it’s very close to the cars ahead and also the cars behind. We’re definitely in the fight, and the goal has to be Q3. It’s tricky here with traffic, you have to be clever with strategy in qualifying – and a bit lucky too!
Gasly believes the battle behind the top three teams is too close to call, even after testing some updates for the car throughout the two sessions.
While he is still not completely happy with the car, the 22-year old is will utilise the extra day of the Monaco weekend to iron out the problems with the aim of a Q3 appearance.
"We tried a couple of things, and at the moment I think it’s really close between P7 to the back of the field, so it will be super tight this weekend," said the Frenchman.
"I didn’t really find the right settings to feel fully comfortable with the car, so I’m a bit out of sync at the moment, but Brendon looks pretty good, so we’re probably going to work and analyse more tonight to try and find the best package.
"The car seems to be fast so if we manage to find two or three tenths I think we can fight to be in the top 10 – that will be the target for us to work towards tomorrow."
