Toro Rosso announcement is imminent

Editor

Toro Rosso could confirm Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley as their 2018 driver line-up within the next few days.

Gasly was promoted from test driver to race drive at this year’s Malaysian GP with an eye to testing him in a race situation before deciding their 2018 line-up.

The surprise, though, came when Hartley – formerly a Red Bull driver junior – was handed a seat for the United States GP and then retained for the remainder of the season.

With both drivers impressing the team, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says it is only a matter of time before Toro Rosso confirm both drivers for next season.

“Maybe Toro Rosso makes a press release with some substantial news,” he told Motorsport.com.

Asked if that would happen ‘sooo after Brazil’, he replied: “I guess so. I don’t know, we’ll have to see. We have other problems at the moment.”

Meanwhile both drivers have been backed by Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost, but he says the decision, and the announcement, are in Red Bull’s hands.

“This is in the hands of Red Bull to decide,” he told the publication.

“Both drivers are strong assets to the team, and therefore I don’t see any others going in the car for next year.

“But once more it’s a decision of Red Bull, and they will announce this.”