Italian GP: Technical trouble for Toro

09.09.12
Toro Rosso scored no points at their home race as technical failures caused Jean-Eric Vergne to crash, and deprived Daniel Ricciardo of tenth within sight of the line.

 

Ricciardo had been running tenth approaching the finishing line, but lost drive in the final stages and was passed by both Williams cars. He was classified 12th. 
  
“It’s been so hard to score points this year and that means it is incredibly disappointing not to get one today,” said the Australian. “I was tenth until the last corner on the very last lap. At that point, I accelerated to exit Parabolica and nothing happened. At the moment, I don’t know the cause, but to miss out on a point by a few hundred metres is bitterly disappointing.”
  
Team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne did not fair any better. His race ended on Lap Nine when an as-yet unspecified failure at the rear of the car sent him hurtling out of control into the Rettifilo chicane. His car flew off the kerbs but thankfully came to rest safely on the grass and he was able to climb out.
  
“I was taken from the accident to the Medical Centre, but apart from a bit of pain in my back and my head, I am fine,” he explained after the race. “I don’t know why I crashed. All I can remember is that when I braked, I completely lost control of the back end of the car. I felt a big impact when the car landed after going up in the air. The kerb is high at that point and I count myself lucky that the car did not flip over.”

It was, said team principal Franz Tost, “a frustrating race.”