The Scuderia Toro Rosso presents the STR7
In a day marked by the presentation of race cars, it was Toro Rosso's turn to unveil its car for the 2012 season: no surprise, the platypus nose is still present!
Sauber this morning, Red Bull in the early afternoon, and thus, Toro Rosso concludes this particularly eventful day of new cars. The STR7, designed by the Italian duo Giorgio Ascanelli / Luca Furbatto, is the eighth single-seater bearing the team’s emblem.
Originality will not be the hallmark of this car, which, in addition to logically displaying a livery in the colors of the main shareholder – Red Bull -, proudly features at the front the famous platypus, gharial, or, fitting for the season, the “pancake flipper” nose, which is also curved, on the model of the Caterham CT01 for example, even if it seems less pronounced than on some other single-seaters. No changes on the engine side either, as it will be powered by a Ferrari engine for the sixth consecutive year.
It is the rookies Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne who will be responsible for bringing this car to fruition. A car that almost became highly anticipated if we are to believe the words of Franz Tost: “On Saturday, at 10:00 am, when we loaded the car, I wasn’t convinced that we could make the presentation on time because there was so much snow, but we did it,” he admitted to Autosport.
The opportunity for the Italian team to remind that it has gained relative independence from the parent team, Red Bull, but also to highlight the efforts made by the structure: « The STR7 is the third car fully designed, manufactured, and assembled by Toro Rosso. We have invested a lot of money to build the infrastructure, and I hope the results will be good for the coming season. This investment was only possible because we have strong partners. Last year, we finished eighth in the constructors’ championship, and this season we hope to do better, so seventh or less. »
Tomorrow will be the first time we take out the new car, and it’s always something very special. We have two very talented new drivers, and I am convinced they will both do a good job. The first to take to the track will be Daniel Ricciardo, starting tomorrow in Jerez.
