Brendon Hartley rejected his team’s claim Pierre Gasly’s car suffered damage in last week’s United States Grand Prix, insisting he beat his team mate on merit.

Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost said yesterday Hartley must “improve his performance” to stay at the team for the 2019 F1 season

Hartley responded by saying he has raised his game. He claimed his United States Grand Prix result, where he finished three places ahead of his team mate in ninth, was an example of that.

“I’ve improved all season and I haven’t always been given the opportunity in the races with having a strategy that would help the other car,” said Hartley. It’s been very close on lap time in qualifying but just missing out and that being the difference between points. But I feel I have got stronger all season.

“I proved that in Austin. Despite what it says in the press release there was nothing wrong with the other car in the race. I simply did a really good performance and was really happy to score those two points.

“In Suzuka I was strong, the races before, I know I’m doing a good job and I know I’ve been a big help to the team in terms of development with Honda and I’ve been a team player all season.”

Tost was quoted in Toro Rosso’s post-race press release saying “Pierre went straight at turn five on the first lap to prevent a collision with the cars that crashed in front of him, and unfortunately damaged the floor. As a consequence, his car lost downforce and was quite unstable under braking, so he could not be able to catch up to the rest of the field.”

Gasly also told media after the race his car was damaged at the start. “There was carbon pieces everywhere. I had to go through it and damaged the car from the first lap.

“That really lost a lot of grip all through the race and was already difficult with the tyres but made our life much tougher.”

Hartley ran Toro Rosso’s new aerodynamic upgrade for the first time yesterday after Gasly sampled it in Austin. “I feel much more comfortable with the car today and the time sheets showed it,” said Hartley after ending second practice ahead of the two Mercedes drivers.

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2018 F1 season