Scuderia Toro Rosso: 2019 Brazilian GP Preview.

Pierre Gasly

“This will be my third time racing at Interlagos and so far I've not finished in the points, so that is the first target for the weekend. Brazil has an iconic role in Formula 1 and when I was little and even today, my idol is Ayrton Senna. So, going to Brazil is always great as there is such a culture of Formula 1 in this country.

“The track itself is actually quite nice, even if it's short. It features a lot of technically demanding corners and it can be quite a crazy weekend, as we have seen many times in the past because the weather can make life very unpredictable. That makes it especially exciting. This is one of only two more opportunities to go racing this year, so of course I am looking forward to it very much. The track runs anti-clockwise and although we all do a lot of training these days, it is one of the toughest circuits in terms of putting a strain on your neck because none of the straights are actually straight! You are always feeling G-forces and during the race it gets quite physical, especially in long corners like 3, 4 and 5 where it never stops turning. Now we are going much faster than we have ever gone before in Formula 1 so the minimum G force is much higher than in the past, which makes it more challenging… but we are well prepared. The facilities are a bit more basic than at some of the more modern circuits, but this is part of what gives Interlagos its character and it would feel strange if they changed it. Once you get on track, you feel a bit like you're in an arena, which is a nice feeling. If we get a good result, my trainer will let me have a couple of caipirinhas on Sunday, so that's an extra incentive to do well!“

Daniil Kvyat

“I like coming to Brazil as it is now another event that I can consider as a sort of home race because my partner is Brazilian. After a quick stop in Japan for the Honda Thanks Day, I came straight to Brazil and spent some time with the family, I'm hoping to stay on for a few days after the race as well. Brazilians are very easy going, chilled, the weather is generally nice and there's plenty of good food and the people seem to enjoy life. My Portuguese is improving and I understand quite a bit, as I speak Spanish.

“As for Interlagos, it's a cool old-school track, but wide enough to allow for some overtaking. There are some incredible corners such as the banked Turn 1 which is much steeper than it looks on television. It's a good overtaking opportunity and usually, there is plenty of exciting action there. The middle section is more twisty, but with a couple of high-speed corners as well. Then there's the short straight where you can follow other cars and try and pass, although in a modern Formula 1 car, no section of this track is really a straight and you are always turning. Even with all the training we do, you feel the lateral forces on your neck here with the track running anti-clockwise. It's not a problem but it is challenging. The weather can also play its part and mix things up a bit and it can go either way, maybe providing an opportunity or just being an extra risk to deal with. At the last two rounds, I crossed the finish line in the top ten, but then lost the points on a technicality, so I am very keen to get a good result for myself and the team this weekend. It's crazy that we now have just two more races this year. The season has been a long one, but it's gone by very fast."

Preview Provided By Scuderia Toro Rosso