Toro Rosso STR6 Ferrari

[Intego]

I'm thinking about what could be a reason for slowing down STR and guessing a bit (just throwing around thoughts, no need for offense ):

– Marketing: According to this article in The Independant RBR is a cash cow, because it's revenue (for the brand Red Bull) is bigger than their sponsoring investment (that means paying for the same amount of TV appearance that they get from F1 feeds over the world would be more expensive).

Red Bull's Advertising Value Equivalency – the price it would have to pay to buy a similar amount of on-screen exposure – came to an estimated £144m in 2009 and £232m in 2010, when it received almost a quarter of the total received by all the teams. It has already got exposure worth an estimated £115m in 2011, so over the past three years alone this has more than offset the cost of Red Bull's investment in F1

The Advertising Value Equivalency of Toro Rosso surely is at a much lower level. Maybe the gains would not be big enough to compensate the loss on RBR's side (on the marketing aspect).

– Marketing for STR: You could choose a time for a rising to be attractive for sponsoring. (Mateschitz is searching for partners, but admits the brand Red Bull is too strong.)

– Driver academy: STR is RBR's new drivers test team. If the car/team struggles it could be a better training for the drivers to learn how to develop a car.

– Concealment: Is RBR secretly testing technology on STR cars or gaining tech data? Then it cold be wise to cut off some downforce so that the contenders don't have a look at a slow car.

At last I'm not convinced of these thoughts. Now that STR is able and willing to fight for 6th in the WDC, why shouldn't they the whole year? The difference 6th to 8th is $9m.

[Pierce89]

I think there are more reasons to slow the Toro Rosso than allow full development. Toro Rosso's purpose may not be to win races and championships. (Check out Ricciardo's fully paid for seat and training programme at HRT).

Remember after 2007 when Vettel won with the TR and by that time the Torro Rosso was the better car, the RedBull mother team took away some of the engineers.

I still believe (and my sources too) that there are some restrictions by the mother companuy on what Toro Rosso is granted/allowed. Notice that every year since 2007 the car stays the same until the last few races. Last year they were the last to get F-duct and new nose cone, this year you had to wait till what, Japan(?) to finally hear of REAL upgrades.

It's a conspiracy! But the truth will be revealed as the TR will take it's rightful place as the 4th fastest car in the last races.

OH come on! There is nothing to be gained from trying to prve that conspiracies exist. When Vettel won in the STR, the car was not better than the Red Bull. It was the SAME car as the Red Bull, so why on earth would RB take some engineers from STR?
And yes, it took them longer to get an F-duct and a new nose cone, but this was because they are a small team and do not have the resources to rush updates through the system. This year, they went with a totally different concept (the double floor), and this has handicapped them due to being caught out without an EBD. That is what has been hindering them. MY sources, which are totally reliable, have confirmed that there is NO interlink between STR and RBR, financial or technical.

How can there be no financial interlink. Doesn't Mateshcitz or Helut Marko have some ownership stake. I thought they were both owned by Red Bull.

If that was a sarcastic statement making fun of Smikle's theory then sorry for wasting everyone's time.

[Trailer23]

I've always admired their spirit and the paint job. The paint job was always good. Pity that the bull on the side had to be changed to a Red Bull decal.

Yeah, their old paintjob was much better & now the Red Bull text on the side is the exact copy of Red Bull Racing. So much so that last season & earlier this year it was almost impossible to tell the difference between the two on various occasions.

Luckly now with new sponsors (Falcon Private Bank & Cepsa), we can differ between the two.

Their pace in India in the first 20 Laps was extraordinary as both STR drivers tag-teamed to overtake cars that have been reasonably fast (RenaultGP & Force India).

I'm almost certain that they'll move ahead in the Constructors from SauberF1 & even though they might not catch Force India in the final 2 Races, they might close the gap.

[Italiano]

Sure makes a difference. Beauty.

[Robbobnob]

this is a technical thread and any discussion about team funding or any related politics is off topic discussion

[Italiano]

Yeah sure, let's open another 100.000 threads in the general chat section for every little discussion.

WTF, talking about Toro Rosso in a Toro Rosso thread and someone has problems with that. LOL INTERNET.

[raymondu999]

The description for the Formula One Cars forum reads:

A place to discuss the characteristics of the cars in Formula One, both current as well as historical. Anything related to a specific race should go in the appropriate race thread.

This isn't a Toro Rosso thread; this is the Toro Rosso STR6 Ferrari thread.

[Italiano]

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I'm not going to achieve anything, am I? Ok then...go open some new threads...we love more clutter, oh boy we do.

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[flynfrog]

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I'm not going to achieve anything, am I? Ok then...go open some new threads...we love more clutter, oh boy we do.

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The thread already exists no need to open another one. Maybe one day you can start your own forum and structure the threads how ever you want.

[mx_tifoso]

As has been customary I've decided to open up a team thread for STR so that the car discussion can maintain its intended path of documenting its development over the course of the season (which is useful for future reference).

Scuderia Toro Rosso 2011

We all win!