what do we have here.?. An STR employee in a t-shirt and shorts talking on his cell phone.. How professional..
And I don't even want to get into describing their facilities..

you gotta love the double standards..


STR will be on the grid next year and that is all that it matters..

I try.

AFAIK, Ascanelli taught Vettel to have more confidence in their talent, to take more risks without bothering to do some damage (as in Montreal, for example).
Ascanelli can understand the qualities of the driver analyzing the telemetry, he can make comparisons, he has a great experience, he knows the real potential for Vettel and maybe he realized that he could not express it fully and I am convinced that its recommendations have since excellent results.
Probably this can not be repeated with Buemi.

I am not aware of issues related to the development of the car

Oh, I forgot.

The definitive history of Minardi Team, from the origins (Scuderia Del Passatore) until 2005, is nearing completion. I think that will be published soon.

Thanks Gio66 for the heads up I'll be sure to purchase it when it comes out

Thanks, can't wait

So you're like a pornstar
You do screws all day

Kimi also screws in the Summer at Finland... but he fishes too.

So... no more Katy's dirty little syster.

Now it's Katy's bastard little cousin.

I wish!

Among other things, we realize our screws by rolling, so we screws and roll, and roll and screws...

Bortolotti to secure Toro Rosso race seat?

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp...54447&FS=F1

Well considering he's been evicted from the Red Bull junior team for 2010, the article is from GMM and Bortolotti is no better than Alguersuari... I'll take that with a pinch of salt.

Maybe you're right, but I think that everything depends on the benefit of dr. Marko. If he can earn more on the signing of Bortolotti, then the Italian will take place in F1, RBJT or not. Otherwise will run someone else on STR.

I can't follow the logic. First they promote to F1 a driver that didn't look ready, now he's sucked and they have an opportunity to give him a winter of testing to see if he improves a little bit at least, they bring in another driver that doesn't look ready? What would be the point?

Does the young Italian chap bring money?

I'm presuming the problems with Alguersuari's future revolve around his access to that 10 million euros everyone was talking about.

Out there, somewhere, I bet Bourdais is chuckling to himself. Especially since he was paid off rather handsomely by Red Bull and won a hefty wedge of money in the Super League. All the while, Toro Rosso are on the verge of entering their toughest season for some time.

It seems that Repsol will reduce its financial commitment to motorsport (maybe HRC only) so Alguersuari lose his "credentials", unless his father (very powerful) manages to find another support.

I agree.

Let me translate.


powerful = well connected to people who has the money. Not too rich (compared to other fathers like Piquet).

I dont know whats going to happen but in Jaime's Blog (in Repsol website).
http://www.repsol.com/es_es/competicion/fo.../blogjaime.aspx
you can read:


where the most important thing is that Cristian Horner (yes, Horner (RedBull), not ToroRosso principal) renewed his (Jaime's) contract for 2010.

and below

I will be in a ToroRosso for 19 GPs

.... but we all have seen the value of a contract all these years.

I hope that Alguersuari gets the second seat but not looking good without Repsol cash... Bortolotti, yeah he's okay but he can't do any better than Jaime I'm afraid. Alguersuari has already 8 gp's under his belt so he would come out stronger this season. Money talks.

There's something I never quite understood about Repsol and Alguersuari.

If they were paid for his half season in 2009, why was there not a spot of Repsol branding on Jaime or anywhere on the car?

Surely they'd want some kind of return for a fairly massive investment.

And it isn't as though Jaime is Alonso yet, what's his profile like in Spain?

Jaime what?

It's like in any other country: If you are not on TV, you dont exist. Now you can ask about him to the 25% share tv rating.

After his debut on TR in Hungary he's known as "the other spanish driver", but I'd bet that he's far behind as public caracter from Pedro de la Rosa so far.

Of course everybody has followed his progression of motorsports since he was very young. There were no doubts about his future was in F1. Maybe too soon for him.


He was part of some advert campaing of Repsol with a minor role compared to Dani Pedrosa's (MotoGP driver).

Honestly I did not understand what happened between Jaime, Repsol and STR.
A couple of months ago (November 9), Tost said: "I'm quite confident that from the middle of next year onwards we will have a good driver line-up, Because then Alguersuari will know all the tracks, and Buemi is increasing his performance already. The last few races were quite good. "
This suggested a probable confirmation of both drivers but obviously something has changed.

However I was told that Repsol has paid about 13 million euros for 9 GP.

Perhaps it is as you say.
I add that, according to those who worked with him in Epsilon Euskadi in 2007, is definitely a good driver but less than Hartley and Maki.

Good lord, that is an EXTREME amount of money isn't it!?!

Back in 1987 Andrea de Cesaris's backers paid a cool million for him to race a Brabham for a season...!

Yes, it is. The technical costs have increased enormously and there are too many intermediaries between the pilot and the team.
I'd like to know how many of those 13 million has gone into the pockets of someone who does absolutely nothing for the good of the team.

It will be interesting to see how Ascanelli coordinates departments there. I expect them to be ahead of new teams.

I'm staggered anyone would pay that amount of money.

You can do a serious amount of advertising with 13 million euros.

I'm amazed Repsol would pay that and not have the smallest sticker on the car or Jaime.

So is STR asking 26 million for a full season? That's crazy money.

It'd be an extreme amount of money if they were main sponsors. Now, they didn't even get a sticker in the car.

Best deal ever.

I don't know but I have no reason to doubt the source who told me.

gio66: Here's a more recent image that shows all the buildings in your earlier post.

Thanks weta

Probably was taken in spring 2009, just before the square of the new machine shop was resurfaced.

In the "X" building are preserved several old cars including Alboreto's Minardi 281 Fly, the M184 should have been powered by the V8 Alfa Romeo turbocharged engine and others.

You were right.
Bortolotti, Aleshin, Maki and Wickens were excluded from Marko.
The 2010 RBJT includes Brendon Hartley, Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Eric Vergne, Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat.

The new 5-axis machining center.

http://www.fptindustrie.com/EN/macchine-a-...ale/dinomax.htm

gio66, from how long Volkswagen sponsors Toro Rosso?

They're not 'sponsors' but a supplier. In that they provide the team with transport for each grands prix. Of course, Red Bull and VW have enjoyed close links for sometime now in various racing categories.

Thanks Dank, I didn't know.

Will STR make the first test or be delayed like RBR?

From F1 Fanatic: I found two great livery mock-ups by the user Jezson. I'm sure he won't mind my showing his work off here. One design is for Red Bull Sugarfree, the other for Repsol YPF - http://forzatororosso.blogspot.com/2010/01...ternatives.html

Wow they look really good. I've been saying for ages that they should tap into the sugerfree area and use RBR at the normal drink and STR for the sugarfree.

It'd help the drivers aswell, becuase we won't have the likes of Alguersuari driving into the wrong pit slot at races.

But the Repsol looks just lovley. I loved the 1999 Arrows (this is the best pic I could find) http://www.rfactorcentral.com/skins/screen...creenshot64.jpg

Even if the Repsol was just on the front of the monocoque then it'd be great. Like many oters here, I wish they'd change their livery and not end up like Toyota and have it virtually the same for their entire F1 tenure.

dank, thanks.
I've imagined so, but I've found strange that they weren't listed as a supplier but as a sponsor.
Bad nomenclature on the web site, I suppose.

Thanks CTP, have imageshacked...






I guess the first one could be a solution if Alguersuari gets his funding together, the other if not.

Personally, I've always found it weird that Red Bull doesn't get more for its money from Toro Rosso.

From 2006 to 2008 you could barely see any Red Bull branding on the car among the stylised runnning bull on the side.

Last year the logos were a bit clearer.

I know the Toro Rosso name is a nod to the STR team's Italian heritage.

But wouldn't it be more effective to call them Red Bull Sugar Free, or Red Bull Cola.

At the very least I reckon the junior team could carry the sugar free branding to be separate to the parent team.

That way you can promote two brands.

So with Bruno Senna maybe joining Toro Rosso http://formula-1.updatesport.com/news/arti...Senna/view.html
there would be history repeating itself - Ascanelli working together with a Senna.

It might be the best prospect for Toro Rosso and I hope that Mateschitz will do what is required.

Yeah but lets be honest, 'Scuderia Toro Rosso' sounds a million times more better than 'Red Bull Cola', though I often wonder, not being Italian, if they get a confused with one team called Red Bull Racing and the other Team Red Bull?

I still maintain that Alguersuari will be Buemi's team-mate come Bahrain, despite various stories circling the press in an attempt to bide time until they have some substantial to write about when the season starts proper.

Yeah, fair enough.

But don't you reckon one car should be branded Red Bull, the other one of the other brands, like Red Bull Sugar Free.

Would certainly enhance Red Bull's massive spend wouldn't it?

Bruno wrote tonight on Twitter that the Campos team situation is not worrying.

http://twitter.com/BSenna

Yup, agree with that. I would use STR as a means to promote products like Red Bull Cola which still needs to make inroads in the fizzy drinks market.

Could you please translate Gio!

I had a tin for the first time a while ago.

Wasn't too bad actually.

Just so you all know.

Just translated from highdownforce on the Campos thread:

"Sobre a Campos, podem ficar tranquilos! = About Campos, there's no need to worry. "

Cool, thank you.

Personally I think Bruno would be a great fit at STR, it's a shame Berger still isn't there because I'm sure he'd have made it happen.

Has Bruno got access to tens of millions of euros though?