Scuderia Toro Rosso presents the STR10

Published on 31 January 2015 by Stefan Meens

Scuderia Toro Rosso unveiled its car for the 2015 Formula 1 World Championship campaign. The STR10, aptly named as it is Toro Rosso's tenth car, was uncovered at a sunny Jerez de la Frontera, the circuit that hosts the season's first collective F1 test from February 1-4. Both STR drivers were present at the launch as they pulled away the red cloth to reveal the latest racer build in Faenza.

Similar to last year, the car, with its familiar and striking colour scheme, is designed by technical director James Key. "The car is a real mix of very different approaches in some areas, while also refining and developing what we felt were some of the more solid philosophies of the 2014 car." Key went on to explain that the STR10 will undergo several changes before the Barcelona test later this month and for Melbourne in March as the team will constantly put updates on the car.

Like sister team Red Bull Racing, the 2015-spec Toro Rosso will be powered by a Renault engine. The French manufacturer has worked hard over the winter to increase not only the drivetrain's power output, but also the engine's reliability. With Lotus switching to Mercedes power and Caterham unsure if they will contest the upcoming season, STR and RBR are thus far the only teams using Renault.

As we have come to expect, Red Bull and Toro Rosso work closely together. Due to a couple of tweaks in the regulations, the Italian outfit is now able to use more components developed by the Milton Keynes based team. This means that, including the gearbox, almost the entire rear of the STR10 will be similar to Red Bull's 2015 car.

After the launch, Max shares his thoughts on his new office: “It looks beautiful, a lot better than last year. Let's hope it's as quick as it's beautiful. I'm expecting the car to change in the way it looks though. During the tests we'll keep developing so the car will probably look different in Australia.”

It is not the first time Max has seen his new car. “At the shake down last week, we completed nearly 60 miles and the car felt good. However, we weren't pushing so we still have to figure out how fast we really are, but at the moment it's all positive”, explains Max, who feels ready for the new season. “The collaboration with my personal trainer is going well and I'm definitely feeling a lot fitter and stronger compared to last year.”

Like last year, Max' helmet will sport a design roughly the same to the one he used in his début season in motor sport. Once again, Jumbo supermarket is a proud sponsor on Max' headgear and the Dutch youngster is delighted with the support of his loyal sponsor.

On Sunday morning the 2015 Formula 1 season really gets under way with day one of the first collective test. Carlos Sainz kicks off the four days of testing by driving on Sunday and Tuesday. Max will take over driving duties on Monday and Wednesday. Prior to the launch, Max already had a change to lap the Jerez circuit. He did so on foot with several team members, including his race engineer Xevi Pujolar.

It was not the first time Max lapped the track in southern Spain as last year, Max drove a Manor MP Motorsport Formula Renault 2.0. “I drove here last year but you cant really compare it in anyway to F1. I've got some much more power and I'll drive completely different lines.”

Despite not driving on Sunday, Max will remain at the track closely monitoring the team's progress. “Carlos will drive on day one so I'll keep an eye on how he's doing. I'll look and listen in the pits and track side so I know about any issues that might arise. In the end, this test is not about lap time, it is all about getting to know the car”, concludes Max.

You can find the schedule for the upcoming Jerez test here. Also, via Twitter and Facebook we'll keep you updated throughout the test followed by a full report on Verstappen.nl at the end of the day’s action. Don't forget to check out our exclusive photo album.