Formula One Mid-Season Review-Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso's season so far has been the story of two rookie drivers who are set to follw in the footsteps of other Red Bull alumni in progressing through the feeder team to the top end of the grid.

Before the season began it seemed like there would be more of the same for Toro Rosso, it appeared that once again they would simply be playing second fiddle to parent team Red Bull.

However it also looked like Franz Tost's team could become a team consistently low down on the grid, as a less than average power unit and a chassis developed to be worse than Red Bull should have made their season closer to Manor’s than Mercedes’.

The Story So Far

The pre-season predictions however couldn't be further from the truth. In contrast to what many believed should happen Toro Rosso have been flying as their two rookie drivers have showed glimpses of extreme talent and both have natural speed.

Driver Performances

Max Verstappen has been the most spectacular of their two drivers. He may not be able to legally drive in Britain but he has demonstrated the cliché of “if you're good enough, you’re old enough” emphatically. The young Dutchman is currently sitting in 11th place in the Driver’s Championship and narrowly missed out on his first podium finish as he finished 4th in the Hungarian Grand Prix, his highest finish in Formula One so far.

While his results this year may not be particularly eye catching, the fact he has been consistently out performing McLaren's Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso, two of the greatest and most experienced drivers on the grid, is a testament to the youngster's natural speed and the surprising speed and drivability that Toro Rosso have been able to create with the STR10.

The son of former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen, Max started his F1 career in promising fashion. He was in point scoring positions for the majority of the race down under and was only let down due to the reliability of the Renault power unit. The following race in Malaysia was a far happier affair for the teenager as he finished 7th breaking the record for the youngest point-scoring driver in F1 in the process.

Carlos Sainz Jr

Often overlooked when praise is given out to Toro Rosso due to the success and surprise of his younger colleague, it is worth noting how well Carlos Sainz is doing. Also the son of a motorsport legend in two time World Rally champion Carlos Sr, Sainz Jr may not have the flair that is possessed by Verstappen the rookie has made few mistakes and has also benefited from a surprisingly competitive car as he currently sits 16th in the Driver’s Championship, ahead of former World Champion Button and fellow rookies Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi of Manor.

The Second Half Of The Season

The staff at Toro Rosso won’t have been expecting the first half of this season to have gone as well as it has already, so it would be unrealistic for them to expect more than what they already have.

With such a young driver line-up Toro Rosso will be hoping that their drivers are quick learners and will soon begin to reduce the rookie errors that are excusable in junior racing, but can result in large consequences in Formula One.

Meanwhile the reliability issues that have so far plagued both of the Renault powered teams appear to show no signs of reducing, and the lack of power certainly isn’t helping matters. After their young starlets have recently reported that the car is lacking at times in rear grip, the team will be hoping this is merely a blip rather than a more serious and permanent problem. Especially since the exceptional drivability of the car is what has made them able to overcome Renault's shortcomings.

The two drivers however will be looking with highly differing aims however; Wonderkid Verstappen will be looking to continue his meteoric rise within Formula One. Rumours are circulating that Daniel Ricciardo could be following Sebastian Vettel by moving from Red Bull to Ferrari.

The young Dutchman will be looking to ensure he is one of the first names considered when Red Bull look for their replacement. However with Williams' Valterri Bottas being another name linked with a drive for the Scuderia next season, Verstappen may be keen to get himself a drive with a team that appears to be on a rise similar to himself and will be regularly competing at the front of the grid soon.

Sainz Jr however will have set his sights slightly lower than the person he shares the garage with. The young Spaniard will be keen to consolidate his place in the Toro Rosso team for next year. If they however decide that Sainz Jr hasn’t done enough and choose someone else, it could be a major mistake on the team’s part.

While Carlos may not have the star attraction and the great story that his team mate possesses, Sainz has just as much talent, albeit a different kind of driver who with the right team and a consistent race seat could soon find himself right up there at the front of the grid.