Toro Rosso celebrates best yet at Spa.

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.

Sebastian Vettel (GER) Toro Rosso STR03, Franz Tost (AUT) Red Bull Sporting Director, Belgian F1 Gra
Sebastian Vettel (GER) Toro Rosso STR03, Franz Tost (AUT) Red Bull…
© Peter Fox

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.

S?bastien 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.

"In the closing stages we thought about bringing them in for intermediates but by then it was too late to make that call. But in the dry, in straightforward conditions, it was undoubtedly our best performance. We have moved ahead of Honda and are now on equal points with Williams and I hope we can score more points in the remaining five races. Fantastic!"

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