13/02/2007
NEWS STORY
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Speaking at the launch of the 2007 Toro Rosso, an event dominated not by a car but a woman dressed as a charioteer (!), team boss Gerhard Berger and team principal Franz Tost insisted that they are unphased by threats of a legal challenge from rival teams as a result of the Italian outfit's decision to run a car designed by another team.
The Toro Rosso is to all intents and purposes the Adrian Newey designed Red Bull RB3, albeit with a different engine and a few other changes.
Frank Williams and Colin Kolles (Spyker) claim that this is in contravention of the Concorde Agreement and are threatening legal action, even though Toro Rosso has used a loophole in the rules which allow a third party to buy the Intellectual Property Rights and then manufacture the car.
"It's definitely not the same car," Berger told reporters at this morning's launch, which took place against the backdrop of the second day of testing at Barcelona. "It's very easy to see that. It's not just the engine, a lot of stuff is different.
"There is a different interpretation of the Concorde Agreement and I respect very much the interpretation of Spyker and Williams," he added, "but we have a different one.
"We checked it very carefully before we even went down this road," he continued, "and we got from different sources always a very clear understanding we are inside the rules."
Tost said that the Italian team is prepared for the fight but hopes that it will not come to legal action.
"There are many differences between the two cars," he insisted, "particularly around the back of the car. Many things are entirely different, things such as the engine cover."
In many ways he is entirely correct, the backs of the two cars are radically different, one has a Renault in the back the other a Ferrari. As for the engine cover, that too varies from car to car. One has a blue and yellow livery while the other has a picture of a mean looking bull.
To check out our pictures from the Toro Rosso launch, click here