Toro Rosso's rookie posts the fourth fastest time of the Day 3 at Barcelona

Carlos Sainz was back at the wheel of the car for his second and final day of winter testing in Barcelona this week, before he jumps into the car in Melbourne for his first ever F1 Grand Prix in only two weeks’ time. The rookie had another busy day, posting what would eventually be the fourth fastest time. Max Verstappen takes over in the STR10 for the last day of pre-season track action tomorrow.

Circuit: Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, 4.655 kms
Driver: Carlos Sainz
Car: STR10 - 03
Laps: 132
Best time: 1:24.191

Phil Charles (Chief Race Engineer): “Another good day’s work during which we got through a range of tests. In the morning, we did just a small amount of data acquisition runs, before switching our focus to the needs of the driver. So it was nice for Carlos that he was able to concentrate on getting the car to suit him in terms of set-up and the feel of the car. The first item in the afternoon was a race simulation and after that was completed successfully, we still had time for some short runs looking at the pure performance side of things. Unfortunately, almost at the very end of the day, a minor electrical problem left Carlos stranded on track.”

Carlos Sainz Jr. (Car 55): “This was the sort of day we needed and it went really well. It means we can go to Melbourne with a boost to our confidence. This afternoon was particularly productive, after we had a couple of minor difficulties in the morning. The race simulation went well and overall we did a high mileage, which is obviously the most important thing. I’d like to thank the team for all their efforts during this pre-season period, as they helped me learn a lot every time I jumped in the car. Two weeks from tomorrow I will take part in my first Grand Prix: I am looking forward to it and I feel ready, especially after this test. Clearly, I’m very excited that it’s all about to start.”

Scuderia Toro Rosso