Vergne: Red Bull still believes in me

If his former teammate Daniel Ricciardo makes a brilliant debut at Red Bull Racing, Jean-Éric Vergne is struggling more at Toro Rosso. With four retirements in six Grands Prix, the Frenchman is struggling to shine against rookie Daniil Kvyat who quickly adapted to the F1 despite his little experience (reigning GP3 Series champion). The latest episode represents the situation well: starting from seventh place in Monaco, the French driver had to throw in the towel with a mechanical problem after being penalized following an error by his team. The resident of the Faenza stable can only be patient, even if it has been put to the test. The French driver had already had to start from the back of the grid in Barcelona following the loss of a wheel during free practice… before giving up with an exhaust problem.

With the same number of points as his teammate, Jean-Éric Vergne may well have to give up his place if Red Bull management prefers to focus on a young driver such as Carlos Sainz Jr who is currently distinguishing himself in Formula Renault 3.5 Series. « If the situation is as you say, there is little that can be done. I am going to go back to my house ", replied JEV on Italiaracing. “Seriously, I don't believe these situations can be reduced to an evaluation of statistics. At Red Bull and Toro Rosso, they never feared putting aside drivers in whom they no longer believed (Sébastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari), but I think they would have let me go at the end of last year if they no longer believed in me. If I'm still here, it's because they believe in me and my abilities. »

If Jean-Éric Vergne plays his third season with Toro Rosso, his experience could allow him to make the difference when success is on his side. “My integration with the technical department has grown considerably and the results prove that it is paying off. It's something that matters to the team. I also feel at home and, if the team is my family, I don't believe they have any intention of parting with a functioning unit. » The Frenchman may have the opportunity to put things right this weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix where he took sixth place last year, the best result of his F1 career.