Tost only sees good in Gasly: ​​“He managed to pull himself together and come back”

What does this second podium of the year mean for Toro Rosso ?

It means a lot of championship points despite the fact that success is always important for the team. It also has a particular meaning due to Pierre's trajectory this season. It’s a special second place in more ways than one, both for us and for him. He didn't have an easy start to the season, and he managed to pull himself together and come back.

This gives us goosebumps watching it back #F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/axwsYKRfDf

- Toro Rosso (@ToroRosso) November 20, 2019

Today he had a fantastic race in every way. He managed his tires particularly well, especially in certain specific corners. He took great care not to overheat them when reaccelerating and always had his pace under control.

When Kimi (Räikkönen. Editor’s note) got back on his wheels and started to push him, he managed to complete the next lap 0”2 faster. Then, he kept a gap of between 3 and 5 seconds with his pursuers; which allowed him to have enough space to control everything and seize the opportunities that presented themselves.

Was it mainly a question of opportunity today?

No, because you still had to be there to grasp them. A good place in qualifying to start, a good two-stop strategy, a team that doesn't make the slightest mistake, a driver who manages his pace and his tires, this 2nd place is not just the result of racing incidents.

Your drivers will finish the season with at least one podium each. For the cohesion of the group, it’s a tremendous boost…

Which also makes me very happy, it's only Daniil's podium (Kvyat. Editor's note) at Hockenheim and that of Pierre here were acquired after absolutely fantastic races from a spectacle point of view. Getting a good result in Sao Paulo is also very special because the Brazilian fans are so passionate. They understand the F1 and I'm happy that we helped give them a great race.

We waited more than 10 years to stand on the podium again This year we made it there twice! ⁣#F1 #ToroRosso pic.twitter.com/VhxsLtglsI

- Toro Rosso (@ToroRosso) November 21, 2019

When did you understand that Pierre had overcome his disappointment at having lost his seat? Red Bull ?

Right away ! He immediately felt at ease in the car and with us. I can still see him coming into my office and telling me that he felt like he hadn't left. We knew each other well, the engineers knew him well and that obviously helped. Also, our car was probably at that time a little easier to drive than the Red Bull was.

Then we managed to improve the performance of the car thanks to a new aero package which worked well and Honda made big progress in terms of consumption. Since then, performance has continued to improve. This is also the reason why we were able to finish in such a good place tonight despite clashing cars; which is also part of the game.

Less than a tenth of a second to the!

“This is the best day of my life!” – @PierreGASLY #F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/k1zmB2iUdq

- Toro Rosso (@ToroRosso) November 17, 2019

This 2nd place is also worth several million dollars since, now 6th, you move up one place in the Manufacturers' championship...

There is still Abu Dhabi! No one is safe, as today's race clearly demonstrated. That being said, I think I will still sleep a little better starting tonight. I wouldn't say it was the best racing weekend I've had because of Seb's victory (Hag. Editor's note) at Monza 2008, Carlos' 4th place (Sainz. Editor's note) in Singapore in 2017, Pierre's 4th place in Bahrain last year and Daniil's 3rd place in Hockenheim this year, but he is in a good place