Pierre Gasly has hailed Toro Rosso’s Formula 1 engine partner Honda for taking a  “massive step” forward in performance at last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix. 

The Frenchman sealed a brilliant fourth-place finish for the F🐠aenza-based squad in Bahrain, after progressing into Q3 and setting the sixth-fastest time during qꦡualifying. 

Gasly’s fourth place marked the Japanese engine manufacturer’s best result since its return to F1, having endured a torrid three-year spel🌺l with McLaren plagued by poor reliability and a lack of performance. 

The result contrasted greatly to the team’s performance in Melbourne’s season-opener, where Toro 🍬Rosso failed to score a single point after both drivers were knocked out in Q1, with Gasly qualifying last. 

“They did a massive step, definitely,” Gasly said. “It's still difficult to compare e♔xactly, so I don't want to give any numbers, but they gave quite a big step.

“🉐We brought a new MGU-H this weekeꦺnd which is only reliability. We are surprised to be that good, there was no performance really in two weeks. Finally we changed the setup, and I think the aero platform is much better. 

“We seem to hav𒁏e more load and a bit less drag. It improved everything, our corner speed and the straight line looked pretty good all weekend. To finish fourth in Formula 1, you need to have a good e൲ngine, so the engine is good.”

The 2016 GP2 champion, who labelled his first F1 points score in his seventh race as feeling similar to winning a grand prix, hopes Toro Rosso can continue to make progress with Honda throughout the 🌳campaign. 

“The pace was strong. I saw that we were faster than Magnussen behind. I don't know compared to the other guys behind, c♒ompared to the Renaults, but we were fast on both compounds as well with no degradation. 

“So definitely understood much more this weekend than in Melbourne about our car setup 🌸and the tyres. I really hope it's going to be usefꦏul for us for the next couple of races.”