Sébastien Bourdais, who in recent weeks has had question marks raised about his performances thus far this year, had been running a very strong race at Spa until the rain fell during the final few laps and had appeared to be on course for a top-four finish.

Scuderia Toro Rosso saw both its Ferrari V8-powered cars finish in the points in the chaotic Belgian Grand Prix yesterday, a result that moves them up to 17 points in the constructors' championship, above Honda and equal with Williams.

Sébastien Bourdais, who in recent weeks has had question marks raised about his performances thus far this year, had been running a very strong race at Spa until the rain fell during the final few laps and had appeared to be on course for a top-four finish. The Frenchman however chose to stay out on slick tyres in the wet conditions and he slid down the order to seventh place. Team mate Sebastian Vettel was on of the drivers to slither past his tea mate and he crossed the line seventh.

The points accrued for Vettel's fifth place and Bourdais' seventh in Belgium yesterday afternoon means that Scuderia Toro Rosso is now on 17 points in the constructors' championship, which puts them clear of Honda (14 points) and equal with Williams-Toyota.

Sebastian Vettel (STR3-03) Pos. 5th: “Both me and Seb have good reason to smile after a race like that. The last lap was unbelievable and I was shocked as I got passed in the last fifty metres and then Heidfeld followed by Alonso drove past me with a “whoosh” on their intermediates. It was very tricky at the end and you really had to trust your car. We were all saying that Eau Rouge and Blanchimont are now flat, but with a few drops of rain, I tell you, you see the real nature of these corners. Overall it was a fantastic race, even though I was stuck in traffic for a while. But I was very happy with the car and we had a very strong pace today. The guys at the front are still in a different dimension, but we have made some good steps forward and now it is up to us to use that potential at the next few races.”

Sébastien Bourdais (STR3-04) Pos. 7th: “On the last lap it was a lottery with the car getting away from you with every turn of the wheel. It’s a horrible situation, as everything had been under control up until then. But I am not in a situation where I can risk everything and at the end of the race I didn’t even know where I finished. It was so close to being a great result I felt I could almost touch it and so it was a very frustrating way to finish what was a great weekend up to that point. Such a shame, but nevertheless a very strong result for the team.”

Franz Tost: “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. 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 teammate. 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!"