Toro Rosso opts for Jerez launch

17/01/2013

Toro Rosso will unveil its 2013 car just four hours after Mercedes, both teams opting to unveil their latest contender at Jerez on February 4.

The Italian outfit, which retains the same line-up as 2012, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne, will unveil the STR8 in the pitlane at 17:30.

Having finished seventh in the 2012 title fight, the Faenza-based outfit will need to improve this year attempting to close the gap to Williams which finished 50 points ahead of it.

Retained for another year, neither Ricciardo nor Vergne got the chance to shine in 2012, the pair, due to the shortcomings of the STR7, forced to accept the scraps that fell from the table. The fact that both have kept their seats, at a team not known for its patience with drivers, suggests that the management knows where the blame for 2012 really lies.

With the highly rated James Key on board, a significant improvement will be required, the Englishman clearly making his presence felt in the final stages of last season.