The Toro Rosso STR12 has just debuted in Spain ahead
of F1 pre-season testing and has undergone a comprehensive overhaul. The most obvious difference is the new
livery. No longer will there be any confusion between the Toro Rosso car and
the Red Bull Racing RB13 with the STR12 now painted in a bright shade of blue
and complete with silver Red Bull advertising and a selection of bright red
accents.
As with all other 2017 F1 cars, the STR12 is also
adorned in a selection of new downforce-generating components including revised
front and rear wings, huge new tires and a prominent shark fin. Another
significant development for the Toro Rosso team is that it will be moving back
to Renault engines having previously switched from Renault to Ferrari power for
the 2016 season.
Speaking about the new regulations in the sport,
Toro Rosso technical director James Key said, “In my 20 years in F1 it's the
biggest chassis change I can remember. In '98 the narrow track had just arrived
and there were various tweaks up to 2009, when a larger change occurred, but
other than the front wing it was still based around principles that we knew."
These
rules however, include a track change, significantly different tyres and a new
aero regulation as well. From a chassis point of view it's all encompassing
with a lot of new things to learn.”
