When will Toro Rosso’s STR4 arrive? Bets are open

Toro Rosso should, according to the latest information, test its new 2009 car a few days after the launch of the RB5 scheduled for February 9th by the Red Bull Racing team.

Sébastien Buemi, the only confirmed driver so far within the Scuderia, talks about a date for the first laps of the STR4, which has not yet been set.

With admittedly different engines (a Renault engine on the RB5 and a Ferrari engine on the STR4), both teams use an identical chassis, designed by Adrian Newey at the Milton Keynes technology center.

When the Swiss driver was interviewed by the British television channel ITV, he stated: « I know that Red Bull will unveil their car on February 9th, so I assume ours will be revealed a bit later, but I don’t know exactly when. »

After test sessions completed in Portugal at the wheel of a 2008 car but with 2009 downforce levels, Buemi returned to Bahrain this week for a short stay, the location of his official residence.

Although he does not know what it’s like to drive a 2009 specification single-seater, his presence at the top of the timesheets in Portimao has boosted his confidence.

« But now, we must think about the coming year which will be more difficult, » he commented to the Gulf Daily News.

« We are very confident. We just saw the chassis, and it looks good. We will see if we have the means to launch the car before the end of February. »