Scuderia Toro Rosso to be brilliant and win everything by 2008

[Danny]

Source: http://formula-1.updatesport.com

Jun.19 (GMM) Marc Gene could be set to return to the formula one grid next year.

The 33-year-old Spaniard is currently a secondary test driver for Maranello based Ferrari, which has been speculatively linked with supplying a complete car and gearbox to a customer team in 2008.

Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Faenza based Scuderia Toro Rosso, co-owned by Gerhard Berger and Dietrich Mateschitz and already powered by Ferrari engines, could get Gene as part of the deal for Ferrari's race-winning F2007 racer.

Gene, so unoccupied by Ferrari this year that he races sports cars for Peugeot, drove for STR's predecessor Minardi in 1999 and 2000, and last appeared on a grand prix grid while substituting for Williams' injured Ralf Schumacher in 2003 and 2004.

Marca said the negotiations between Ferrari and Toro Rosso are "on the verge" of being finalised.

So where would this put STR in relation to Red Bull Racing and the rest of the field?

 

[Dougboy]

Hahaha, so STR will have a fleet of F2007's?

If customer cars are allowed, then i think Super Aguri should just purchase two MP4-22's for 2008

 

[Appie]

Thats just plain weird. There using Newey designs. Why buying another chasis?

 

[darkfinal]

MARC GENE IN THE F1 GRID AGAIN???

*dances* YES!!!

 

[prisonermonkeys]

If they're going to sign Sebastien Bourdais as well, does this mean Liuzzi and Speed will probably be working down at the local pizza joint?

 

[Blake]

I don’t see that (the Ferrari customer car) happening. IIRC both Red Bull and Berger have denied the rumours about the team being sold. This seems completely speculative to me.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Who would be buying the team? This is about STR buying a customer car, not being sold..

 

[TheCracker]

Liuzzi and Speed will probably be working down at the local pizza joint?

No, it's more likely to be G.A.P.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Who would be buying the team? This is about STR buying a customer car, not being sold..

It's implying that since the car will - internally at least - be a Ferrari, Toro Rosso could become a Ferrari B-Team as opposed to a Red Bull one (but with the Austirans running Renault engines, they're essentially a Renault B-Team so what would that make Toro Rosso then?).

 

[Roo]

It's implying that since the car will - internally at least - be a Ferrari, Toro Rosso could become a Ferrari B-Team as opposed to a Red Bull one (but with the Austirans running Renault engines, they're essentially a Renault B-Team so what would that make Toro Rosso then?).

Toro Rosso have already got Ferrari engines, as have Spyker.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Toro Rosso have already got Ferrari engines, as have Spyker.

But Dan's article suggests Toro Rosso may expand upon that to include Ferrari gearboxes or even a Ferrari chassis.

 

[Metar]

Apparently, the Lineup might improve as well:

Team co-owner Gerhard Berger on Thursday gave a big hint about the possible appearance of Toro Rosso's driver lineup for 2008.

The Austrian stalwart and former grand prix winner has often been critical of STR's current racers Scott Speed and Vitantonio Liuzzi, but insists to sportnet.at that rumours of an early exit for the pair is not on the cards.

Berger did, however, admit that signing at least one experienced driver in the longer term would be "an advantage" for any team in its early stages.

"Sometimes we suffer because we have two young, inexperienced drivers," he said.

Berger hinted: "But a rookie does not necessarily have to be so young and inexperienced."

Champ Car's dominant Sebastien Bourdais, for instance, is strongly rumoured to be heading for a Toro Rosso cockpit next year, and Berger admits long-standing links with the 28-year-old Frenchman's manager Nicolas Todt.

"I have known Nicolas since he was a child when I drove under his father Jean (Todt) at Ferrari. That is apart from the fact that I think Nicolas does a very good job in this industry," he said.

BMW's Sebastian Vettel - jointly contracted to STR's sister team Red Bull - is also speculatively linked with a race seat for 2008, but the German teenager laughed off the rumour at Magny Cours.

"I know nothing about it and nobody has spoken to me about it," Vettel is quoted as saying by Sport-Informations-Dienst.

But somehow it all doesn't seem right - the good drivers, the Ferrari customer-car. Minardi, now Toro Rosso, has always been the perfect backmarker, or even Midfield car.

 

[Roo]

If I was Bourdais, I wouldn't touch an STR drive with a 4,000 mile barge pole. Why go to a backmarker F1 team when you're doing so nicely in America?

 

[Blake]

Because Champ Car has no credit. Nothing good has come out of Champ Car since JPM.

 

[Metar]

Weren't the two also mentioned on the topic of Prodrive's entry?

 

[Only_in_f1]

I heard a rumour that M.S will be buying into the STR team.

 

[Muzaffar]

I heard a rumour that M.S will be buying into the STR team.

What?WTF?Rumors,rumors,rumors.....will they ever end?

But anyways,why would Bourdais or even Vettel drive for STR?Its currently the worst F1 team for this season (imo,the Spyker did quite well....) and having Liuzzi and Speed doesn't help either.And even if STR is buying Ferrari parts,does it help with them winning?NO!!!!

 

[peterjford]

But anyways,why would Bourdais or even Vettel drive for STR?Its currently the worst F1 team for this season (imo,the Spyker did quite well....) and having Liuzzi and Speed doesn't help either.And even if STR is buying Ferrari parts,does it help with them winning?NO!!!!

But if you have a driver with a big enough ego, he will think that the reason the team isn't winning is because he isn't driving for them. I am not trying to imply that Bourdais or Vettel have big egos, but many drivers do.

 

[Lee]

But anyways,why would Bourdais or even Vettel drive for STR?Its currently the worst F1 team for this season (imo,the Spyker did quite well....) and having Liuzzi and Speed doesn't help either.And even if STR is buying Ferrari parts,does it help with them winning?NO!!!!

Bourdais would be interested in joining mainly because, as earlier stated, Champ Car has lost alot of credit of late, low grid numbers, lower TV coverage and audience all means Indy Car and NASCAR are the daddys of US Racing.

As for Vettel, I'd see 18/19 races is much better than 20 odd days of testing. Look at Anthony Davidson, been in Formula 1 for aslong as Takuma Sato yet Sato is beating him because he can recall on 4 years of racing in F1 whilst Davidson has 3 races under his belt.

 

[Muzaffar]

But Bourdais could get better driving seats other than STR.But it does helps if he could get a driving seat early in his career (even if he had to drive for Spyker) But my point is,with Prodrive entering F1 next year (being backed up by McLaren) he could get to join a better team and perform better (like Hamilton and Kubica) and don't have to drive with a lousy team (no offence,but STR does seem to be outperformed many times.....and it doesn't have to be Prodrive,it could be any team.Toyota,Red Bull,Williams,who knows...maybe even Ferrari )

Sorry about STR,i didn't mean to criticize the team as being "lousy",but they should have performed better than SA or even the Toyota.....

 

[Omnis]

Bourdais would be interested in joining mainly because, as earlier stated, Champ Car has lost alot of credit of late, low grid numbers, lower TV coverage and audience all means Indy Car and NASCAR are the daddys of US Racing.

As for Vettel, I'd see 18/19 races is much better than 20 odd days of testing. Look at Anthony Davidson, been in Formula 1 for aslong as Takuma Sato yet Sato is beating him because he can recall on 4 years of racing in F1 whilst Davidson has 3 races under his belt.

Yeah, driving a slow car in F1 traffic is better than waiting for a fast car and not having F1-level race experience.

 

[Blake]

But Bourdais could get better driving seats other than STR.

He had an opportunity to test for Renault a few years ago but he refuses to be a test driver (or have Flavio as his manager IIRC), so Renault don’t want to touch him. Everyone else that looks like a decent opportunity have drivers for next year anyway. With STR at least he’ll have a Newey chassis (which is quick, and as development goes on into next year should be able to score more regularly) and a strong engine.

But it does helps if he could get a driving seat early in his career (even if he had to drive for Spyker)

He’s 28, it’s hardly early in his career.

 

[Muzaffar]

Well,in F1 at least....and besides,didn't Juan Manuel Fangio started driving in his early 40's?But thats not the point.The point is,its never too late to enter F1 even if you were being outperformed by youngsters......

 

[Blake]

....and besides,didn't Juan Manuel Fangio started driving in his early 40's?

Wow, welcome to 50 years ago. Remember, there was a war before F1 was formed, young men were shooting each other, not getting experience racing cars. The only people with experience were those who were able to drive competitively before the war.

 

[Muzaffar]

Wow, welcome to 50 years ago. Remember, there was a war before F1 was formed, young men were shooting each other, not getting experience racing cars. The only people with experience were those who were able to drive competitively before the war.

Look,i'll stop arguing (for now).Its not the point!I was just making some references.....

 

[MustangSVT]

But Bourdais could get better driving seats other than STR.But it does helps if he could get a driving seat early in his career (even if he had to drive for Spyker) But my point is,with Prodrive entering F1 next year (being backed up by McLaren) he could get to join a better team and perform better (like Hamilton and Kubica) and don't have to drive with a lousy team (no offence,but STR does seem to be outperformed many times.....and it doesn't have to be Prodrive,it could be any team.Toyota,Red Bull,Williams,who knows...maybe even Ferrari )

Sorry about STR,i didn't mean to criticize the team as being "lousy",but they should have performed better than SA or even the Toyota.....

I agree with you. Bourdais' experience and skills deserve far more than STR. I would say that Bourdais certainly deserves Fisichella's seat at Renault or possibly Schumacher's at Toyota or even Coulthard's at Red Bull. I think he would do well in a BMW Sauber instead of Kubica as well. STR is a backmarker team like Spyker. Super Aguri is a backmarker too, but at least they've gotten a point so far. STR (as well as Spyker) always seem to DNF and the like. I wouldn't want to go to a team like that if I was a driver of Bourdais' caliber either.

IMHO, there are two drivers currently who have skills worthy of being in a top to mid F1 team at the moment who are not, and that's Bourdais and Montoya. On the other hand, we have drivers in F1 who should be out by now like Ralfie, Barichello, Fisico, Coulthard.

 

[Tornado]

I agree with you. Bourdais' experience and skills deserve far more than STR. I would say that Bourdais certainly deserves Fisichella's seat at Renault or possibly Schumacher's at Toyota or even Coulthard's at Red Bull.

I personally don't think a Toyota seat would be all that much more attractive to Bourdais than a STR seat, to be honest.

 

[Danny]

Especially if the deal about next STRs being F12007's is reached...

 

[MustangSVT]

I personally don't think a Toyota seat would be all that much more attractive to Bourdais than a STR seat, to be honest.

Maybe you're right. I'm just saying I feel the guy deserves better than a backmarker. I'd love to see him in the Renault instead of Fisi, but it's just too bad that most decent/good F1 seats are filled nowadays like in Renault's case where they already have a 3rd person waiting to get a drive.

 

[Tornado]

Maybe you're right. I'm just saying I feel the guy deserves better than a backmarker. I'd love to see him in the Renault instead of Fisi, but it's just too bad that most decent/good F1 seats are filled nowadays like in Renault's case where they already have a 3rd person waiting to get a drive.

To be honest, the only team I can see him going too that isn't a backmarker is Ferrari if Massa doesn't work out. I can't see him being on Ferrari, however.