It seems that the two new young guns at Scuderia Toro Rosso have impressed team bosses enough to be signed on for full time positions in the team for the upcoming 2018 Formula One World Championship.
Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley made their first f1 appearance when the Faenza based squad asked them to drive in Malaysia and Texas respectively, taking over from regular drivers Dani Kvyat, who was released from his contract, and Carlos Sainz, who made the premature move to Renault.
Next week's Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi will be Pierre's fifth Formula One appearance and Brendon's fourth, the duo gaining vital experience in order to start the 2018 season with a good understanding of the sport and, at the same time, getting to know the team better.
"We're really happy to have Pierre and Brendon confirmed so early by Red Bull as our drivers for 2018", commented our Team Principal, Franz Tost. "During this last part of the year they've shown that they're ready for Formula 1, getting to grips with the car quickly, showing good performances and always demonstrating to be prepared for the challenge.”
“We have been truly impressed by both their steep learning curves. As we know, F1 is something that not all drivers can adapt to this fast! Therefore, we're looking forward to having a full year with them; one where we can hopefully provide them with a good package which, combined with driver consistency, can surely put them in the best possible situation to deliver. I'm sure they will keep pushing hard and fight for strong results, together with the team."