• Valencia Testing

Toro Rosso unwraps new car

Drivers Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari took the cover off the new STR5 © Sutton Images

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Toro Rosso took the wraps off its new 2010 challenger in the Valencia pit lane, ahead of the start of testing on Monday morning.

The STR5 is the first car the team has developed independently of sister team Red Bull now that chassis sharing is effectively banned. The car appears to be an evolution of last year's STR4, which was largely based on the race-winning Red Bull RB5, but the team has developed it around a new double diffuser. Sebastien Buemi will give the car its first run on the Ricardo Tormo circuit in the morning, before handing it over to Jaime Alguersuari later in the week.

Alguersuari, who joined the team midway through last year with no testing, said he expected to be in a better position this season, once he gets some track time in the new car.

"The STR5 looks nice from the outside, and I know that its insides are also good," he said. "The basis is quite similar to last year's car and I think we can have a good year, partly down to the fact that I am better prepared. But let's wait and see as it is far too soon to say. As for the racing, I think the new rules will make it more exciting for spectators, as it will be less about strategy and, with qualifying run only on low fuel, the one who gets the pole position time will really be the fastest guy on track."

Red Bull won't run its new car until the second test in Jerez, after chief designer Adrian Newey decided to spend more time developing it in the wind tunnel over testing it on the track.

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