Brendon Hartley says he is very optimistic about Toro Rosso’s aerodynamic upgrade after running it for the first time in practice yesterday.

Hartley ended second practice sixth-fastest – ahead of Lewis Hamilton , Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas – which he said was a “pretty genuine” reflection of their performance.

After practice Hartley said the new aerodynamic parts didn’t offer a major gain in terms of performance but greatly improved his feel for the car.

“We tested the new aero kit which Pierre tested in Austin,” said Hartley after practice. “I’m really optimistic about this.

“In the simulation it’s really small numbers. With the drag penalty we’re talking half a tenth or so in terms of how much quicker it is. But the other side of it is the balance through the corners.

“What it’s meant to be giving us is exactly what I’ve been asking for all season. Pierre and I have very different driving styles and what I require is sometimes very different.

“Sometimes it can hurt me, sometimes can benefit me. But this aero kit is in the direction I’ve been asking for all season so I’m excited about it from that point of view.

“There’s still obviously a bit to be tested but [Friday] looks really promising and P6 seemed pretty genuine actually.”

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2018 F1 season