Tost : Making predictions is a dangerous trap

Franz Tost, Toro Rosso Team princpal

"2010 is a landmark year for Scuderia Toro Rosso as the new regulations demand that we go it alone in terms of designing and building our car in-house. After four years of working in collaboration with Red Bull Technology, the STR5 is the first car that is one hundred percent down to our own endeavours."

"Creating the necessary infrastructure to tackle this task has been our biggest challenge, possibly more difficult than actually producing the car itself. We have taken on an additional eighty staff and expanded our facility to accommodate them, including a Machine Shop to increase our production capacity. In addition, we have commissioned a wind tunnel in Bicester, England, which we bought from Red Bull. It will take time for the highly skilled team we have assembled to learn to work together as efficiently as possible."

"Red Bull originally created this team to give the young drivers from the Red Bull driver pool the chance to come into Formula One. This is still our philosophy and I am confident and optimistic that Toro Rosso can continue in this role and produce another Vettel."

"Buemi improved his performance race by race in 2009, his first year at this level and I expect a similar performance increase this year. Alguersuari is still the youngest driver in the field and, in the first half of the season, all the race tracks will be new to him. The fact the number of tyres that can be used in Friday practice is reduced this year, will not make it any easier for him to gain experience."

"Making predictions for the coming season is a dangerous trap, but if pushed, I would say we must aim to finish in the top eight in the Constructors’ Championship, while giving our young drivers everything they need to improve, as well as optimising our infrastructure in order to be as competitive as possible in 2010 and beyond."