Formula One news

Grip problems at Toro Rosso

Sébastien Bourdais had a frustrating qualifying session on Saturday in Turkey, finishing the day last of the twenty runners and therefore at the back of Sunday's grid. The Frenchman and team-mate Sébastien Buemi have struggled to get to grips with the Toro Rosso car this weekend, with tyres being the biggest problem.

Sébastien Bourdais can only look forward on Sunday

"All I know is that we lack grip and we are off the pace," Bourdais said plainly, "even being two tenths off Seb. My first run wasn't too bad but I had degradation on my next one. We then changed the tyre pressures a bit but it seemed that, as the session developed, the option (Soft compound) began to work better and I was running the Prime (Hard compound) which we felt suited us better."

After making Q2 with both cars in Monaco, the Ferrari-powered team's Istanbul performance is a hard pill to swallow. "We've gone backwards a bit this weekend, which is hard to take," the four-time Champcar Champion concluded. "In the race, I don't think the difference between the tyres will be that much and, in any case, it's not just the tyres that are our problem this weekend."

2009 newcomer Buemi, meantime, finished 20th in both practice sessions on Friday before moving to 18th in qualifying. "We had a very tough time, especially with the soft compounds, as we were never able to get the most out of them," he explained. "The best thing we can do now is think hard about the race and ensure we have the best possible strategy; it will be a difficult afternoon, starting so far back and managing the tyres, especially the inevitable degradation on the right-front. Okay, starting eighteenth I'm not really thinking of a points finish, but we will still give it our best shot."

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