Toro Rosso's two rookie drivers Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari had their first taste of racing under the floodlights in Singapore on Friday although neither made much of an impression during the opening day's two practice sessions. The Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso STR4 has struggled during the second half of the season and the team will be hoping for an upturn in its fortunes this weekend.

Sebastien Buemi (STR4-03): “It has been more or less what I expected from my first time driving here at night, with no problems in terms of visibility, although you have to be very careful in judging your braking points. The track is more like Monaco than Valencia, with some bumps and tight corners. It is a difficult circuit, made more complicated by the heat. The track offered very little grip today, but it will improve as it rubbers in. I felt more comfortable in the second session, having learned the track in the morning. The last few races have not been too good for us, so I hope we can make a step forward here.”

First Practice Session: Best lap 1.51.643, pos. 13th, 28 laps; Second Practice Session: Best lap 1.50.527, pos. 17th, 29 laps

Jaime Alguersuari (STR4-02): “Today was doubly difficult for me, as this is a street circuit and it is also new to me. Tyre degradation was my main problem, caused by the high temperatures, so I would find myself going from understeer to oversteer. It’s been tough, as the easiest thing to do here is to crash and I’ve worked hard to stay on the track. Every run I get a bit better, so I hope I can make good progress before the race. As for it being my first time driving under floodlights, it was no problem.”