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Toro Rosso show off new STR6 in Valencia pitlane - A subdued launch reveals the 2011 car for STR

Published by Christine

Jaime Alguersuari and Sébastien Buemi oversee the launch of the STR6
Credit: Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Red Bull offered us a subdued launch with a strikingly similar car to last year, and now sister team Toro Rosso have done the same thing. Taking the covers off the new STR6 in the comfort of the pitlane in Valencia, drivers Sébastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari were on hand to pose with their 2011 chassis.

The car has a higher nose, and a redesigned rear, and the team will be hoping to have made some strides forward as they continue to move away from the Red Bull designs and break out on their own. Team boss Franz Tost explains how they are looking to the future:

In a Formula 1 team, there is always movement, so you have to keep an eye on every department trying to improve performance. We brought in new people for example in the aerodynamic department in Bicester, where we are currently running two shifts in our wind tunnel.

Here in Faenza, especially on the production side we have increased the number of employees which makes me quite confident that in 2011 we will have a successful season.

- Franz Tost

Toro Rosso technical director Giorgio Ascanelli has given the team a target of finishing the year eighth place, which is just one position higher than in 2010. They will be fully aware that last year's new teams were catching them up as the season went on, though, and it won't be an easy fight for 2011. Alguersuari agrees that this year is going to be super important.

Every season is important and definitely this one is going to be very significant for myself, because it is my second full year in Formula 1 and because it is the second year that Toro Rosso builds its own car, so it will be completely decisive for our future, for the future of Toro Rosso and for my future, because we obviously need to target our competitors which are Williams, Force India and Sauber. We need to fight against them and finish the championship ahead of them.

- Jaime Alguersuari

Alguersuari was the first of the two drivers to try out the new chassis, as he joined other teams on the track for the first day of testing.

All content in the series F1 Launches 2011