Toro Rosso's Gasly buoyed by 'productive' first day

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Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly was a somewhat surprise top-ten contender in Friday's free practice running for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The 22-year-old ran through his team's various programmes without any issues impacting his STR13 or its Honda power unit.

Gasly initiated his workload with P7 in Friday's first practice session and concluded his day by positing the eighth fastest time in the evening session, a performance which bodes well for today's qualifying run.

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"Today was a very productive Friday for us, it felt very comfortable in the car since the first lap in FP1," said Gasly.

"We showed some decent pace in both sessions with a seventh and eighth best time.

"It’s a good beginning but there are still things we can improve for tomorrow because it’s really tight between everyone, so I need to spend a lot of time tonight analysing everything we tested today.

"The first feeling with the car is really positive, so hopefully we can keep it and have a similar day tomorrow."

Following his engine failure in Melbourne, Gasly is running a new internal combustion unit in Bahrain, with a modified MGU-H and turbocharger.

The upgraded components were also installed on the engine of team mate Brendon Hartley's STR13 for this weekend.

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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.