Toro Rosso dogged by reliability issues, but car is fast - Tost

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Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost believes his team has a fast and competitive car on its hands but it needs to overcome an outstanding reliability issue before the first race in Australia.

The Faenza-based squad was hardly a marathon runner in Barcelona during pre-season testing, ending its stay in Catalonia with the lowest number of laps of all teams bar McLaren obviously.

Fortunately, Carlos Sainz was able to put in a long haul work session on Friday, while Tost is confident all problems will be resolved in the next two weeks.

"After completing the two pre-season tests here in Barcelona I can affirm that the STR12 is a fast and competitive car," said Todt.

"One weak point is the reliability, as we’ve had too many issues over these two weeks.

"On the positive side, I can say that this situation has improved compared to last week’s T01, but there has still been a few problems that have taken track time away from us this week."

The best pre-season testing times overall from Barcelona

Identifying the niggling issues however is a necessary first step towards eradicating the weakness.

"The good news is that we know what the issues are – nothing major – so I’m confident we can solve them all before getting to Australia thanks to all the valuable data we’ve collected here.

"Regarding our drivers, I have to say that both Carlos and Daniil have done a fantastic job every time they’ve jumped in the car and provided very useful feedback.

"Our engineers will now analyse all the data gathered to optimise the set-up for Melbourne.

"I’m really looking forward to the season ahead, I think we’re going to have a very interesting fight with the midfield teams and I just can’t wait to get started!"

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.