AP They have been one of the surprise packages during the final Formula One test in Barcelona. Following a disappointing 2012 season, Scuderia Toro Rosso appear to be on the verge of something special, and Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo is optimistic of delivering in 2013.
“Where we are is in the mix somewhere. Probably not at the very point end at the moment but to be honest we don’t necessarily expect to be there. Obviously it’s our target but the realistic target is to be amongst the midfield pack that we sort of fell behind last year.
“I think we’re in there – at which end I’m still not sure.”
During the interview with reporters in Barcelona, Ricciardo identified his rivals for the season ahead as being Williams, Force India and Sauber: the three teams who finished directly ahead of Toro Rosso in 2012.
“In the group we’re fighting it’s the Williams, the Sauber and the Force India. I’m really not sure who is the strongest out of those at the moment. It’s so hard with testing. I think we just have to wait until racing and then all the nonsense will stop and we will really know.”
Despite the good start, Ricciardo was quick to make clear that work still needed to be done for the team to be ready for the Australian Grand Prix in two weeks time.
“There have been some positives, some things I like on the new car, but also finding it in its window and working ideally where we want it to work, I still think this is taking a bit of time and we still need to understand it a little bit more.
“We haven’t done any race simulations yet so we’re not sure how we are on long runs, with fuel tanks in the car.”
Although it is hard to deduce much from testing, Toro Rosso have certainly made a big step forward from 2012, and they will be keen on meeting their target of sixth in the 2013 constructors’ championship.
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AP
Dale Jarrett (pictured), Maurice Petty, Tim Flock, Jack Ingram and Fireball Roberts will soon be known as NASCAR Hall of Famers. The five NASCAR legends were voted into the Hall today and will officially be inducted as the Class of 2014 in ceremonies at the Charlotte, N.C.-based Hall next January. The honors for Jarrett and…
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Qualifying for the second race of all IZOD IndyCar Series doubleheaders this season — which includes the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit (the next race on the schedule following this weekend’s Indianapolis 500), Honda Indy Toronto and Shell/Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston — will be split into two groups. Cars will run in one of two…
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Don’t overlook E.J. Viso as a part of Andretti’s all-star arsenal at Indy
May 22, 2013, 5:00 PM EDT
Reuters
At Andretti Autosport, Ryan Hunter-Reay’s the defending IZOD IndyCar Series champion. James Hinchcliffe has won two of the first four races this year. Marco Andretti has the legendary surname and is off to the best start of his IndyCar career. Carlos Munoz has stolen some headlines in his rookie Indianapolis 500 appearance with a front…
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Reuters
Friday’s Freedom 100 for the Firestone Indy Lights (Noon ET, NBC Sports Network) will feature only 11 cars on the starting grid, but there’s still racing’s ultimate form of bragging rights on the line: Victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Headlining the Freedom 100 field is Andretti Autosport’s Carlos Munoz (pictured), who is also on…
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Indianapolis 500 pole sitter Ed Carpenter and his team hosted reigning NHRA Top Fuel champion Antron Brown in his garage today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Brown got to climb into the cockpit of Carpenter’s No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet. “It’s just good times to come hang out and support Ed for…
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AP
Four laps. Ten miles. Seems simple enough. But, of course, there’s no such thing as “simple” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s been said more than once that qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 is decidedly more nerve-wracking than the race itself. It’s an all-out quest for speed and precision that requires the highest levels of…
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49ers coach – and IndyCar team co-owner – Jim Harbaugh to drive Indy 500 pace car
May 22, 2013, 1:30 PM EDT
AP
San Francisco 49ers head coach and Panther Racing co-owner Jim Harbaugh will drive the 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray pace car and lead the field of 33 to the green flag at Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. Harbaugh, who led the 49ers to last year’s NFC Championship and an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII, is a founding partner…
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Pagenaud: More comfortable and confident for second Indy 500 start
May 22, 2013, 1:00 PM EDT
Reuters
Rookies get all the attention at Indianapolis. And then they become sophomores, where they’re now wiser fools and more grown up. Simon Pagenaud’s among the crop of second-year drivers at Indy, and the Frenchman’s undoubtedly more comfortable this go-around in the No. 77 HP Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports Honda. For one thing, this race last year…
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What’s it cost to compete in Formula One? An IndyCar comparison
May 22, 2013, 12:30 PM EDT
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Christian Sylt and Caroline Reid cover the business of Formula One. More of their work can be found at FormulaMoney.com. The cars lining up to compete in this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix and Indy 500 may appear the same. However, with even the smallest Formula One teams running on budgets around five times those of…
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Then as now, brushing the barriers is key to being quick in Monaco
May 22, 2013, 12:18 PM EDT
At 2.075 miles long the Monte-Carlo circuit in Monaco is by far the shortest track on the Formula One calendar. But much of its length is bordered on both sides by unyielding barriers. F1 drivers notice a stark difference between it and modern circuits built to the FIA’s exacting standards, with flat curbs and vast…
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Adrian Sutil says Force India’s 2013 car is the best he’s had during his F1 career. “I think so, yes,” said Sutil when asked if the VJM06 was better than the other F1 cars he has driven. “Wherever we have gone so far the car has looked competitive – and that includes some very different…
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Michael Schumacher said thank you to thousands of his fans with a demonstration lap in a Mercedes Formula One car at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Schumacher toured the track on Sunday ahead of its annual 24-hour race. The 15.769-mile circuit, one of the longest ever used for a Formula One race, held Germany’s round of the…
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Felipe Massa has the unfortunate distinction of being the only driver to have started the Monaco Grand Prix for pole position in the last nine years without winning it. But that doesn’t sour his view of the uniquely challenging Monte-Carlo street circuit. “Monaco is a very special track, completely different to all the other venues…
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Reuters
NBC Sports Network analyst Townsend Bell races Sunday in the Indianapolis 500 in the No. 60 Sunoco / “Turbo” the Movie Panther Racing Chevrolet. NBC Sports Network Formula One pit reporter Will Buxton rode along with Bell in an IndyCar two-seater prior to Buxton’s coverage of qualifying from pit road over the weekend. Suffice to…
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F1 Flashback: Spa returns to the Grand Prix calendar (VIDEO)
May 22, 2013, 8:00 AM EDT
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While we look ahead to this weekend’s race at one of F1′s classic circuits, 30 years ago today another of the great grand prix tracks got a new lease of life. The dauntingly fast layout of the original 8.7-mile track was gone, along with it the terrifying Masta Kink. But the new 4.3-mile layout retained…
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NBC Sports to feature 19.5 hours of Monaco coverage, with race live on NBC
May 22, 2013, 7:00 AM EDT
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For the first time, Formula One’s famed Monaco Grand Prix will air live on network television Sunday, May 26 at 7:30 a.m. ET on NBC. NBC Sports Group will present a total of 19.5 hours of Monaco coverage from Thursday to Sunday, May 23-26, across NBC, NBC Sports Network and NBC Sports Live Extra. Race day, Sunday…
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This year marks the 50-year anniversary of Parnelli Jones’ win in the 1963 Indianapolis 500. Although he’s 79, ‘ol Rufus doesn’t look or sound anywhere near his actual age. NBC Sports Network reporter and IndyCar insider Robin Miller sits down with Parnelli to chat about his seven 500 starts and his place in Indianapolis, and…
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The entry list for the 90th anniversary 24 Hours of Le Mans was first revealed in February, with a 56-car grid split between four classes: LMP1, LMP2, GTE Pro and GTE Am. On Tuesday, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) put out the latest update, with the driver lineups for each car all but set.…
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Michael Annett cleared to return after injury suffered at Daytona
May 21, 2013, 6:00 PM EDT
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NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Michael Annett has been cleared to return after he broke his sternum in a crash at Daytona International Speedway to open the season. Annett wrote on Twitter, “Pumped to announce I’ll be making my return to the #43 car this weekend at Charlotte. Can’t wait to get back in the seat!!!”…
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Reuters
If Honda can find the race pace and fuel mileage gains similar to what propelled it to victory in last year’s Indianapolis 500, there’s a number of its teams that could pull off a surprise. When you think Honda, you immediately think of Target Chip Ganassi Racing. The other teams in Honda’s stable include two…
