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Toro Rosso rookie Carlos Sainz Jr. says he is encouraged by the extensive upgrade package which the team has brought to the final pre-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Toro Rosso's STR10 features a modified front wing, along with updates to the aerodynamics, cooling and suspension of the car, compared to the car which was used at the first two tests.
Sainz Jr. ended the day in seventh place, having stopped out on track during the afternoon session.
"It was very nice to drive the car fitted with the update package," he said.
"That meant much of my time was spent collecting valuable aero data for the engineers to study. Then towards the end of the morning, I managed to do a real run.
"I could immediately feel an improvement in the car, in terms of its overall grip and balance. That was a very positive and motivating feeling for the rest of the day.
"We did have an issue that cost us some track time in the afternoon, but the guys did a great job to fix it and get me out on track again, with enough time to do two more useful runs before the chequered flag."
