Scuderia Toro Rosso 2009 Preview: Can They Win Again?

The next team to be studied by Paul are the Toro Rosso team. They exceeded all expectations last season. Can they do it again? Paul and I debate whether it’s a possibility.

STATS AND INFORMATION

Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari

Team Principal: Franz Tost

Technical Director: Giorgio Ascanelli 

Team Base: Faenza, Italy

Chassis: STR4

Engine: Ferrari V8

Tyres: Bridgestone

Grand Prix: 53

Wins: 1

Podiums: 1

Poles: 1

Fastest Laps: 0

Points: 48

2008 Position: Sixth (39 points)

Last Five Seasons

2004 – 10^th (1pt)*

2005 – 10^th (7pts)*

2006 – Ninth (1pt)

2007 – Seventh (8pts)

2008 – Sixth (39pts)

*As Minardi

First Driver: Sebastian Bourdais

Nationality: French

Age: 30

Starts: 18

Wins: 0

Podiums: 0

Poles: 0

Fastest Laps: 0

Points: 4

Best Season: 17^th (2008)

Second Driver: Sebastian Buemi

Nationality: Swiss

Age: 20

Starts: 0

Wins: 0

Podiums: 0

Poles: 0

Fastest Laps: 0

Points: 0

Best Season: N/A

DISCUSSION

Paul Murtagh

Toro Rosso were probably the most improved team of 2008. What do you think made the difference?

Daniel Chalmers

I think there were a number of factors. The Ferrari engine was very strong. The team got more out of the car than the sister team. They had a very strong driver lineup and there are some very passionate people at Toro Rosso, many of whom were there back in the Minardi days.

Paul Murtagh

Yeah, I was glad to see the success for those who were with the team during the Minardi days. How much of an affect do you think Gerhard Berger had on the team last season? He definitely has the magic touch as a team boss

Daniel Chalmers

He is a racer through and through and very passionate. I think he did a very good job as team boss last season. He improved in the role as in 2007 and I don't think he treated Speed and Liuzzi very well.

His relationship with Vettel really seemed to blossom. I also wonder if as an ex-Ferrari driver he managed to get the full spec Ferrari engine.

Paul Murtagh

I have thought that myself because he is still very popular at Maranello and with Ferrari fans. Do you think at any stage during the season there was favouritism towards Vettel from the team?

Daniel Chalmers

I don't think there was any favouritism. Vettel definitely had a lot more success and the love of the team but the team was very professionally run in 2008. I think the new car suited Vettel a lot better to begin with, but Bourdais worked hard and once he adapted he was on Vettel's tail.

I thought Bourdais was luckless in the final third of the season.

Paul Murtagh

What did you make of Bourdais' debut season in F1? I thought he did a decent job and like you say he was unlucky at the likes of Spa and Monza, and was made to look poor by Vettel's excellent performances.

Daniel Chalmers

In the old car he actually shaded Vettel, but nobody noticed because the old car was slow. The new car was then the opposite of his driving style and far more suited to Vettel. I thought Bourdais was superb in the final third of the season.

In Monza Bourdais' fastest lap was 1.2 seconds quicker than Vettel but it was too late by then. In Fuji he had that very harsh penalty for the incident with Massa.

He should have beaten Vettel there. In Spa he was beating Vettel again but the rain came at the wrong time for him. Results don't show it but he did well and deserves his second season in F1.

No doubt about it, Toro Rosso made the right decision there.

Paul Murtagh

He did deserve his seat for this year and I think he will be a better driver now he has a full year behind him. Plus his recent experience of slick tyres in ChampCar will help him acclimatize quickly. What about Vettel last season—did he live up to the hype around him?

Daniel Chalmers

He definitely did a very good job. His win in Monza was absolutely superb. The conditions were the same for everyone and he did the best job. I wouldn't say he has done anything out of this world in the dry yet though.

He got the most out of the Toro Rosso, which was a very fast car in the end that other top drivers would not have been capable. Let’s see how he gets on at Red Bull this season.

Paul Murtagh

What about his replacement for this season, Sebastian Buemi? Toro Rosso is definitely found of drivers named Sebastian aren't they?!

Daniel Chalmers

I'm sure it’s just a coincidence but you do wonder. When it comes to Buemi I am really not sure it’s the right decision. He has shown flashes of speed and potential in GP2 but he certainly hasn't been consistently great in the series. He only finished six and 26 points down on the championship winner (Pantano).

Yes, he did win a couple of races, but they were due to the benefit of the reverse grid system for  the sprint race, so not as impressive as winning a feature race.

Paul Murtagh

I would put him on par with Pantano in terms of GP2, but behind the likes of Bruno Senna. But although he wasn't spectacular in GP2, he has been fast in testing so far, all be it in the 2008 car, and beating Takuma Sato to the second Toro Rosso seat in no mean feat considering Taku has been racing in F1 since 2002

Daniel Chalmers

There is some potential there but I think he is being a bit rushed in my opinion. If he stayed in GP2 and went on to challenge for the title then fair enough, give him the drive in 2010.

You say Bruno Senna is at a higher level, which I agree with you on. So why did Toro Rosso let Senna slip through their fingers?

Why didn't they ask Flavio if they could have Di Grassi who did very well last season? There were better rookies to pick than Buemi. Him alongside Bourdais also makes the lineup a bit inexperienced especially when there are a new breed of cars to understand.

I think Toro Rosso should have hired Barrichello to have some experience in the team, and he still has the pace too

Paul Murtagh

I agree with you that they should have tried to get Senna, but I think it would have made a mockery of their Driver Development Programme if they chose Senna over one of their own. But last year they did well with two rookies in the car so time will tell if they can repeat it.

But do you think Berger's departure will affect the team this season?

Daniel Chalmers

I do sense that Buemi's appointment is due to the fact, that Red Bull are desperate to have another success from their driver programme.

At the end of the day you have to pick the best possible driver lineup possible within your means, and I don't think Toro Rosso have done that. Buemi may prove me wrong and blow F1 away but I don't see it.

As for Berger I think he is a loss but I don't think he would have been as motivated if he had stayed on. I think he gauged the fact that 2008 was probably as successful as this team were ever going to get as a customer/sister team.

He won't be able to challenge for wins regularly with the team, or the championship, as they are technically a customer team.

I can understand his reasons for leaving. Toro Rosso do have other very good personalities there so it won't be too huge void left by Berger. The guys there are capable of delivering the results and the motivation. There are some real racers in that team as we mentioned earlier.

Can they beat the success of 2008? Personally, I think they will be doing extremely well to match it.

Paul Murtagh

I think it will be a struggle for them to match their 2008 season, especially winning another grand prix. If they score a podium and get a string of point-scoring races they will have had a good season.

But we have to remember that Dietrich Mateschitz is still considering selling the team at the end of the year so they are still fighting for their future

Daniel Chalmers

I think they will continue to score points. If Red Bull's car is as good as we think it is then Toro Rosso should be quick too. The main differences this season are that all the engines will be equal so they will lose the engine advantage they had (well that’s supposed to the theory anyway) plus Buemi will struggle to get anywhere near what Vettel achieved last season.

It won't be a bad season but not the revelation of 2008

Paul Murtagh

Yeah I agree. A solid season for the team but not spectacular—especially with Berger and Vettel no longer at the team.

I always get the feeling that there is a cloud over STR because of the whole customer car argument—will we see a different design for STR from RBR this season because of the new regulations, or will it once again look like a clone with a different paint job?

Daniel Chalmers

After the main team got embarrassed by the smaller team in 2008, I wonder if Red Bull will continue to be as helpful and committed to Toro Rosso. We saw how Honda started to give Super Aguri a lot less support, and then hung them out to dry.

Red Bull really want to have their breakthrough season in 2009. Surely Toro Rosso is an unwelcome distraction for a team that are now deadly serious about challenging for major honours now.

Paul Murtagh

It does give Mateschitz a problem—does he get Red Bull technologies to design a different car for Toro Rosso, and hopes that it won't beat the senior team but in doing that dropping the value of the team he wants to sell.

Personally, I would put both teams once again on equal footing because at the end of the day it was a Red Bull-owned car that won in Monza. I'm sure Mateschitz wasn't fussed that it was a Toro Rosso car that won it instead of a Red Bull Racing car.

Daniel Chalmers

If I were Mateschitz I would sell Toro Rosso and focus purely on the main team. I don't see much reason for him to keep the Toro Rosso team. I think he should sell at the next opportunity. I think having a sister team was good for them in the beginning, but their ambitions and aspirations are changing now.

If they want their young drivers to have race seats they can always send them on loan to other teams. I think that was one of the main reasons of having a sister team in the first place.

Paul Murtagh

I think you are right and it's time that the sister team was sold off to be honest. If they had the chance to run a four-car team then that would be better than having two teams, but they don't so it's time to sell up.

Could they perhaps become the new USF1 team in 2010?

Daniel Chalmers

I don't see that, I think both teams will be on the grid in 2010. Either Mateschitz will persist with Toro Rosso into 2010. It wouldn't surprise me as he seems to have his heart set on finding the right buyer or he will find a buyer.

I think USF1 already have some very firm plans in place

Paul Murtagh

I think it could be a possibility, but USF1 seem to want to go it alone, so I think you could be right, and I agree that Mateschitz will only sell to the right person. So Toro Rosso to have a good season, but not as good as last year?

Daniel Chalmers

I think that’s an accurate assessment. As for their F1 security Mateschitz does seem to be keen still to support them until a buyer is found. Whether that is the right move for Red Bull is questionable but that’s the way it is.

I think he will struggle to find a buyer for a couple of years, but I think in the future the interest in having a F1 team will re-generate, and he will be able to sell then.

Paul Murtagh

I think a good season once again this year and the team will be a very attractive proposition for any potential buyer, and I think Mateschitz will get a good return for his investment

Daniel Chalmers

The main thing is they stay on the grid in some shape or form because at the end of the day we don't want the grid down to 16 do we? It’s been great speaking to you again as usual Paul Murtagh

Paul Murtagh

It's been great doing this with you once again. And we aren't even at the business end of the grid yet!

MARKS

Chassis: 7

Engine: 9

Aerodynamics: 7

Mechanical grip: 7

Drivers: 6

Reliability: 8

KEY QUESTIONS

Can Toro Rosso match their 2008 performance?

Can Buemi be a worthy replacement to Vettel?

What is the future for the Toro Rosso team?

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