Mid-season review, Toro Rosso and Caterham

Toro Rosso had high hopes for 2012, even ditching their relatively competitive 2011 driver line up in the hope of moving up the table. However, this season has not gone to plan for debutant Jean-Eric Vergne and relative newbie Ricciardo.

Caterham expected more from 2011, and they expected even more from 2012 . However, like Toro Rosso, so far they have failed to deliver. Yes, they have hooked on to the back of the midfield but they are still some way off challenging them in the races. Here I give my take on their performances so far, grading each team and driver on their performances and getting you to have your say.

Toro Rosso
Grade: D+

Toro Rosso's performance this year, so far, has been simply underwhelming. It makes me want to sigh, how did it look so good during winter testing? Barcelona and Jerez flew by, but Toro Rosso always caught my attention. The STR7 had obvious potential during those chilly months, with both drivers putting it consistently in the top 5 by the end of the day. As the season closed in, expectations with me and the team were high. After the drama of dropping both of their 2011 drivers (a mistake in my view), they may have actually made the right decision.

Of course, looking back now I know it was a mistake. Particularly for Jean-Eric Vergne. He was unlucky not to get points in Australia but did improve for Malaysia, but since then he has dropped off. His qualifying has worried me more than anything, he has failed to progress through to Q2 on 5 occasions and has been out qualified by his team mate on 9 occasions. I really think Toro Rosso struggle in some parts by the resources and finances, they may be linked with Red Bull but it is a considerably smaller team and they do not bring upgrades as frequently as those around them. However, Sauber have the same problem and they seem to survive.

What Toro Rosso are missing is that 1 big result which Sauber and Williams have had. Force India are more consistent which should also be an aim for them. So far, so bad for Toro Rosso.

Driver Reviews

Daniel Ricciardo: Can we count his odd outing's in a HRT last season as races? Even so, Ricciardo came into Toro Rosso with very little experience. Due to Toro Rosso's fall in pace, we can only really compare him to his team mate. In that respect, Daniel has done well. He qualifies well and seems to struggle less with the car, always seeming much happier when asked how his car felt. The STR7 started life in winter testing, with Daniel putting in some stunning times. However, despite the lucky points score at his first home race, there has been little to celebrate. Highlights of his season so far have to be that points score in Australia and his 6th on the grid in Bahrain. Or though, he did ruin his race on the first lap. Anyway, he is a nice lad who has some good potential but needs to eliminate the errors and attack on the first lap.

Grade: C

Jean-Eric Vergne: One word, disappointing. After removing potential brimming Jaime Alguersuari from the frame, Toro Rosso brought this Formula Renault 3.5 star in to replace him. Expectations and thoughts on him were pretty high after testing, where he was pretty consistent. However, he has yet to show the potential last seen in a FR3.5 car. Qualifying, a word he probably winces at. Jean-Eric has failed to make it through to Q1 on 5 occasions (as stated above, needed to get that in again for added effect). His best grid position has been 11th in Australia, pretty poor when looking at his team mates performances. In the race, he has been mostly steady. The points in Malaysia were well earned but since then his pace has trailed off. He also had that ridiculous collision with Heikki Kovalainen in Valencia, completely his fault. Jean, write down this. "Note to self, get faster".

Grade: D-

JLF1 View: They showed early form in testing but have failed to compete at that level. They have slipped back and have lost out in the constructors table, still looking for that elusive "1 big result".

Your view: Luke Smith @LukeSmithF1 "they looked brilliant in Australia, but have failed to impress since. Things don't seem right behind the scenes, but the car is STR's biggest downfall, which is only made worse by two inexperienced drivers. They've been the let down of the season so far. "

Caterham
Grade: C-

Caterham are my local team (but not for long), so I have always liked them. Ever since their plucky little Lotus Racing car debuted in 2010, the green and yellow coloured cars have had my support. They also have Heikki Kovalainen, one of my favourite drivers. More on him later.

So many fans hoped that the team would mix it with the midfield runners, but we have failed to see it. Their qualifying pace has been very good, a highlight being Kovalainen qualifying 16th in Valencia. The CT-01 was slower than expected off the mark, with the distance on both sides being the opposite to what the F1 paddock expected. Marussia were slightly closer, while Toro Rosso seemed further away. However, the small squad soon picked up the pace and the results soon came. Quite notably, Kovalainen had the car to keep Jenson Button behind in Monaco. Yes, you could argue it is quite challenging to pass on the streets of Monte Carlo, but Heikki's lap times were promising.

The plan was to be battling with Toro Rosso and Williams in 2011, but we saw little of it. This season, if they keep the big upgrades coming they could well get a point if possible. Also, yes Caterham do have a 2nd driver. Vitaly Petrov was drafted in at last minute and, looking at his speed, has done a respectable job. However, it has failed to blow me away.

Driver reviews:

Heikki Kovalainen: We have witnessed some great drivers from Heikki this season, as well as some stunning qualifying laps. Unfortunate, these performances are never as well acknowledged. He beat both Toro Rosso cars on merit in Valencia to line up 16th on the grid, quite an achievement. The Finn has impressed me, with his amazing determination and ability to push the car way over its limits. A best result of 13th in Monaco, impressively keeping faster cars behind him, has helped the team maintain 10th in the Constructors. However, if a high attrition race comes along, we could well see a point or 2 being scored by Heikki. He has the speed, he has the awesome angry bird helmet but he just simply does not have the car. Maybe next year?

Grade: B

Vitaly Petrov: His entrance into the team was rather odd, was it not? One minute he was out of a 2012 drive, the next he was racing in Australia in a Caterham. I must admit, the dropping of Trulli was a surprise but a welcome one at that. Petrov has far more potential and talent. Yet, have we seen that yet? No. It is hard coming into a team where the car has been designed without any of the drivers input or knowledge of their style. It is also tough having a team mate who is so quick, and can get more out of the car than you could. Petrov has done a respectible job, but no more than that. He needs to be more aggressive and get his qualifying set up right. An equal best finish of 13th for the team (along with Heikki's Monaco finish) in Valencia has helped the team secure 10th and showed he can perform better than his team mate; he just needs to do it more often.

Grade: C

JLF1 View: Caterham have been a slight disappointment for 2012, but I really want to see them up there fighting for points. Being a new team, and compared to the others who entered in 2010, they have done a good job and turned it around. Bringing on Vitaly has meant both drivers are now capable of making it into Q2, they just need to continue pushing.

Your View: Laura Fisher @LauraFisher1985 "Heikki - unlucky, Petrov - disappointing"