Toro Rosso technical director James Key has revealed the team was forced into a radical redesign of their 2016 challenger after they decided to use a Ferrari power unit.
Following a year of disastrous performance and reliability from the Renault power unit, Toro Rosso decided in October 2015 it was best for the team to revert back to the use of Ferrari power units as they had done between 2007 and 2013.
However because the team had left it so late in the year to go with a Ferrari power unit, the design of the car was already well under way based on how they would incorporate the Renault power unit, this last minute change meant Toro Rosso had to redevelop the car late in the day in order to complete it in time for the first test which is scheduled for Monday.
Speaking to Autosport.com James Key explained: “The design change was massive. It was completely different.
“What we tried to do was take the philosophy of what we had already designed – aerodynamically and mechanically – and adapt it to the Ferrari installation, rather than start again because you can’t really start again in October/November.
“But the implications have been enormous. Everyone has worked incredibly hard for two to three months to get this together.
“And it’s not just the shape of it. It’s the specifications of everything.
“The cooling systems are different, the electronics are different, the software changes, the energy management strategies are new to us as well.
“So it’s been a whole range of things we have to adapt to and learn.”
With the use of an upgraded 2015 specification Ferrari power unit, Key believes Toro Rosso will be far more competitive in the 2016 season.
“Our predictions move around quite a bit as more information comes to light,” added Key.
“One second is a massive step from one year to the next. You’d normally expect to have quite a bit less than that.
“If you transfer all the aero performance we’ve found, that will be a reasonable step.
“The engine is a good step, but we need to see on track first how everything is working and whether we are able to make the most of that.
“But it’s all relevant. We have a 2015-spec engine, which is a really good step from Ferrari.
“Other people will have a 2016 spec, and I don’t know how much is in that.
“So while we might make a good step, it could be the case for others as well.
“We’ll have to see what the performance is, but if the best predictions are right then it could be as much as one second of improvement.”
How much of an improvement has been made remains unknown but with the first test just around the corner we will soon have some answers.
