Marko on superb Gasly drive: 'That made a man out of him!'

©WRI2

Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko believes Pierre Gasly's superb drive to fourth with Toro Rosso is a milestone achievement for the young hopeful.

The 22-year-old put in a solid and flawless performance in Bahrain, delivering to his Faenza-based squad its seventh P4 finish in its history and the best result for engine partner Honda since its return to F1 with McLaren in 2015.

"That made a man out of him," said Marko.

"His reward is the fourth place. All our drivers have a very good bonus system. This will more than please him.

"I didn't expect a fourth place that early - but it's a positive development. It was the target to challenge the midfield with this engine. Not here, but in the first half of the season."

Gasly stupefied by 'unbelievable' run to fourth

Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost was equally impressed and complimentary of Gasly's impeccable Sunday drive.

"Pierre has done an incredibly good job, I must say," said Tost.

"Also yesterday in qualifying he got everything together.

"And today [was] a good start. [It's] fantastic how he fought at the beginning against Magnussen, defending very, very hard and he brought it home without any mistakes, nothing. Very good job."

As surprising as the result was for a young man who enjoyed his seventh career start in F1 in Bahrain, Tost says he expected his driver to deliver.

"I expected it. Otherwise, he would not be a Red Bull Junior driver and he would not be at Toro Rosso."

'To finish in fourth position in the second race of the year is really a very positive sign from Honda and from Red Bull Toro Rosso side.

"I’m quite confident that we have what we need to keep this level of performance – maybe not finishing fourth all the time because we mustn’t forget that Verstappen and Ricciardo didn’t finish the race – but nevertheless I’m convinced that points are possible in all of the races."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

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.