Tost: Gasly is a mature driver now

Pierre Gasly is now a mature driver in Formula One in the view of his boss Franz Tost. The Toro Rosso team principal praised the Frenchman for his strong performance during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend as he went on to secure more points for the team with a solid drive.

Tost told Motorsport.com that Gasly's performances as of late had improved his perception in Formula One from new boy to experienced driver, his exploits during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend the latest evidence to support his view.

"From FP1 we were competitive. Pierre was nearly always within the first 10, and I was quite convinced that we could do a good job, and that we could score points.

"That we could finish in sixth position in qualifying, I was not sure about this.

"But we did a very good qualifying in difficult conditions, which showed that the car in the wet was very competitive. Both drivers did a very good job, I must say.

"Pierre had a good start, and defended his sixth position, and brought it home without any troubles.

"He controlled the race - when he had to go a little bit faster he did it immediately - and he had no problem with the tyres or fuel saving.

"He showed a fantastic performance, and he's become a really mature driver.

"He's improving his performance, his understanding. F1 is complicated, but he's using all the tools to his advantage, and I'm really impressed."

Gasly impressed early on in the season with a well deserved fourth place in Bahrain, a result the team have yet to replicate or fully understand. Their car worked so well in the deserts of Sakhir that they have not been able to replicate that form ever since, but have shown that the Honda power unit is a strong one, with parent team Red Bull picking up their own supply in 2019.