“Bravi ragazzi, bravi tutti,” (well done lads, well done everyone) was the final message over the radio from team manager, Massimo Rivola, as Scuderia Toro Rosso ended its first ever grand prix with both cars seeing the chequered flag.

No points, but you have to walk before you can run. The team’s interesting new livery certainly drew plenty of comments over the weekend and one man in the paddock with medical experience reckoned it looked like a human placenta! Not exactly what we had in mind. Neel Jani enjoyed his first weekend as our third driver and rather than sit around doing nothing during the race, he found himself another job. He sat in with TV commentators for not just one, but two Swiss broadcasters, switching effortlessly from German to French. Although his F1 career has only just begun, it seems another one is already waiting in the wings.

The old boys in the press room were getting all nostalgic as they watched the race on television in the Media Centre – at their age, going out in the desert heat to watch at the side of the track could be bad for their health. At one point the message on the screens popped up, “Fastest Lap, Rosberg, Williams-Cosworth.” Yes, blonde bombshell Nico Rosberg did set the fastest lap on his race debut, something previously achieved by Jacques Villeneuve in 1996 and of course, Nico’s father Keke Rosberg took a Williams-Cosworth to the Championship win back in 1982.
 

Tonio Liuzzi: “We were expecting a bit more after the start we had to the weekend. But it was good to see the chequered flag in a reasonable position. Unfortunately during the race we did not have the pace we needed.

Scott Speed: “I’m pleased to have got through to the chequered flag in my first grand prix without making any mistakes. The balance of my car was not quite right during the first stint, but we were able to fix that at the first pit stop. After that, I think our pace improved and was good.

Gerhard Berger (Team Owner): “It’s a really good result for us. With not many of the front runners stopping, finishing mid-field is about the best we could expect. It reflects our place in the order and the team can be more than happy, having performed well all weekend. Well done to everyone who worked so hard to get here. For Red Bull to get all four of its cars to the finish is also a result. From a personal point of view, I have to say this was a special day, watching my first race as a team owner. I am very happy, because in this team’s previous life, people could sometimes feel sorry for you if you worked here. But I think after this race, I can go to the restaurant without having to hear bad comments!”