Verstappen feels engine cost Toro Rosso podiums

Max Verstappen says Toro Rosso would have had some podium finishes in 2015 with a more powerful power unit.

Toro Rosso produced an impressive chassis this season for its two rookie drivers, with Verstappen able to take advantage of chaotic races in Hungary and the United States to finish in fourth place. With the car powered by the Renault power unit which frustrated Red Bull, Verstappen says the chassis itself was good enough to challenge much further up.

"I think if we had a really good engine we would have been on the podium," Verstappen said. "Not all the time but sometimes when people were retiring, we have to be realistic because Mercedes and Ferrari would have been a bit in front but we could have definitely challenged Williams."

Toro Rosso will run a 2015 Ferrari power unit next season, and Verstappen says if it remains competitive there are many knock-on effects which improve performance.

"I hope we have a bit more horsepower then we can fight with Force India and the Lotus cars because if you see how much they gain on the straight in the races … In qualifying it is a bit less because you can use DRS and a bit more power there but in the race it’s very painful for us.

"If 50 horsepower more makes your life so much easier because you can control the guys behind you - definitely the Mercedes cars in front can control us and we have to push very hard in the corners to catch up all the time, you can lengthen your stint and everything gets easier."

The MP4-X: McLaren unveils radical F1 concept car design

Technical analysis - Abu Dhabi

Use the red tabs on either side of the screen to scroll through more Formula One news and features

Click here for a gallery of the McLaren MP4-X

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

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Horner: Max 'answered critics' with epic Sao Paulo GP drive

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hailed Max Verstappen’s sensational Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory…

6 mins ago

Sainz left puzzled by double crash drama in rainy São Paulo

Carlos Sainz was left scratching his head after a disastrous Sunday at the Sao Paulo…

1 hour ago

Alonso pushed through agonizing pain to complete Sao Paulo GP

Fernando Alonso braved both physical agony and mechanical challenges in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix,…

3 hours ago

Alpine double-podium in Brazil could deliver $30 million windfall

Alpine’s remarkable double podium at the São Paulo Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon and Pierre…

17 hours ago

F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2024 São Paulo GP

Alexander Albon, Williams (Did Not Start): 5.5/10 Alex Albon is definitely going through something of…

19 hours ago

Jos Verstappen rips British media after Brazilian Max fest

Jos Verstappen wasted no time after his son spectacular win at the São Paulo Grand…

20 hours ago