Scuderia Toro Rosso
today revealed its new car, the eighth in the team’s
history, in the Jerez de la Frontera pit lane. The
wraps were pulled off the STR8 by the unchanged
driver line-up of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric
Vergne.
While the drivers are
the same, the new car is the work of a changed and
strengthened technical team. The STR8 is the first
car to be designed by a group led by chief designer
Luca Furbatto, who joined the company just over a
year ago, while the whole project is overseen by
James Key, who has been the team’s technical
director since last September.
Franz Tost:
“Formula 1 is approaching
a new era, specifically in 2014, and, at Toro Rosso,
we have already made significant changes to our
structure both in terms of manpower and facilities,
to be ready for that. We believe the changes made
will also help in the short term for this coming
season and, combined with the fact that Daniel and
Jean-Eric are more experienced, now that they have a
season with us under their belts, we start winter
testing in a mood of justified optimism.”
Daniel
Ricciardo: “The 2013
version of me is a more confident person and driver,
with more self-belief than last year. I’ve always
had the desire and determination to succeed and now
I’m ready to reinforce that and let everyone see
what I’m all about. I spent most of the winter Down
Under and when I came back into the factory in
Faenza, I could feel a very positive atmosphere with
everyone excited about the new car. The target for
us this year is very simple: to improve on last
year.”
Jean-Eric
Vergne: “Going into this
season is a completely different experience to this
time last year, when I had to deal with a lot of
unknowns. I had to learn the majority of tracks,
understand so many details about Formula 1 and adapt
to working with the team. This year, I will still be
learning – you never stop in Formula 1 – but the
basics are there and I will be able to focus on more
important aspects of the job. In general, I sense a
new philosophy within Toro Rosso: I wouldn’t say
people are working harder, but maybe they are going
in a better direction.”
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATION
Official car name:
STR8
Engine: Ferrari V8 Type 056
Chassis material: Composite monocoque structure
Bodywork material: Carbon fibre composite
Front suspension: Upper and lower carbon wishbones,
torsion bar springs and anti roll bars, Multimatic
dampers
Rear suspension: Upper and lower carbon wishbones,
torsion bar springs and anti roll bars, Multimatic
dampers
Steering: Scuderia Toro Rosso
Gearbox: Seven-speed hydraulic
Clutch: Sachs Triple-plate pull-type
Calipers: Brembo
Pads and discs: Brembo
Cooling system
(radiators, heat exchangers): Scuderia Toro Rosso
Cockpit instrumentation: Scuderia Toro Rosso
Seat belts: OMP / Sabelt
Steering wheel: Scuderia Toro Rosso
Driver's seat: Carbon fibre construction, moulded to
driver’s shape
Extinguisher system: Scuderia Toro Rosso/FEV
Wheels: Apptech
Fuel cell: ATL
Overall weight: 642 kg (including driver and camera)
