Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost believes his team can overcome its power deficit and wrestle fifth place in the constructors championship from rival Force India.
With the exception of three races this season, Toro Rosso has been a consistent points-scorer in 2016, but an underwhelming performance in the German GP before F1's summer break was perhaps a prelude to a difficult latter part of the year.
Tost considers the Faenza-based outfit, despite its aging Ferrari power-unit, is still in the running for a top 5 finish, and while the team may suffer in the short term, the latter part of the year may offer a good opportunity to outrun its closest rival, Force India.
"The second half of the season will not be easy for us in Monza and Spa, because of the performance of the power unit," explained Tost to Motorsport.com.
"But Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, America and Abu Dhabi should be quite good. Sao Paulo is in between, it depends also on which weather is over there. But you need a lot of power there as well.
"I’m still optimistic that we can finish in fifth place in the constructors championship. I know that now Force India is ahead of us, but the potential of the car is on a very high level, the drivers are doing a good job. I hope that also hope the team will do a good job.
"We just need one, two really good results to finish in the first five. And we are close to that. The possibility is there."
Tost fully recognizes Toro Rosso's weakness in the engine department, but the introduction of new upgrades should also help the Italian squad at least preserve its current level of performance.
"We will see where we are. But I think, with some new upgrades, that we still would be in a position to fight against our direct competitors in a successful way."
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