Toro Rosso drivers Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly are eager to get to work ahead of making their debut appearances at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Having both been given their Formula 1 opportunities late into the 2017 season, neither driver has had the opportunity to drive around the famous Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
During their time coming up through the junior ranks, those respective series never made the trip across to Canada, not even Hartley during his sportscar career.
The double-World Endurance Champion believes it's one of the standout events on the calendar and is keen to trade in the simulator work and get out on track to experience the circuit properly for the first time. "I’ve never been to Canada before," said the Kiwi.
"I’ve been told by every driver that this track is one of the highlights on the calendar, so from one highlight on the calendar to another – from Monaco to Montreal. And it’s also partly a street track, which I love, although this is a lot faster than Monaco and the barriers aren’t as close, apart from in a couple of places.
"So far, my only experience of the track is on the simulator, with Toro Rosso and also in the past with other teams and manufacturers."
Despite having never set foot on Canadian soil, Gasly is also excited by high-speed, low-downforce nature of the track with the close proximity of the concrete walls nearby, especially the infamous Wall of Champions'.
He added: "The circuit looks exciting with some long straight sections, so some overtaking opportunities. It’s a complicated track, with the walls never far away and the famous final chicane with the 'Champions’ Wall.'
"This is a race where you take off a lot of downforce to get good top speed, which means the car won’t be easy to drive. Even if there are not many corners here, it’s a complicated track to drive, but everyone seems to like it so I’m looking forward to it."
Discussion about this post