Despite seeing both of his drivers miss out on a potential podium on the final lap of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, Toro Rosso team chief Franz Tost declared himself happy at the fact that the Italian squad has now moved level with
Williams in the constructors' championship chase.
Sébastien Bourdais started the final lap of the race at the famed Ardennes circuit in third place after a strong middle stint had taken him to fifth position, with the Frenchman being promoted into a podium slot when
Kimi Raikkonen crashed out and
Fernando Alonso gambled on a late switch to intermediate rubber.
The decision to stay on dry tyres with rain falling proved to be the wrong one for Bourdais as he slipped back to seventh, with team-mate
Sebastian Vettel being one of the people to move ahead of the Frenchman on the final tour.
Indeed the young German briefly held third himself but was powerless to prevent intermediate shod
Nick Heidfeld and Alonso finding a way past to demote him to fifth, although the six points secured by the pair was still the best single race total of the year for the team.
As a result, Toro Rosso has now moved ahead of
Honda in the constructors' title race and level with Williams on 17 points going into the next race at Monza – a circuit where the team will hope to run well thanks to the strength of the
Ferrari engine onboard the STR3.
"I am really very happy with this result and now we head for our home race in Monza, hoping to carry the momentum with us," Tost admitted, despite seeing the team just miss out on its first ever podium. "It's also the home race for our engine supplier and I expect the Prancing Horse to be on very good form next weekend.
"A very good start and a very good race from Bourdais until he was unlucky on the last lap, as the rain came a bit too early for him. But that's the game at Spa. It was definitely his best race for Toro Rosso and I am very happy for him. Vettel struggled a bit at the start, but then he too drove a fantastic race, passing Glock and Piquet with some good moves. At the end, he also passed his team-mate.
