Franz Tost reckons 2010 is a "landmark year" for Toro Rosso as they design and build their own car for the first time.
Team unveil STR5 - their first in-house design
Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost has labelled 2010 as a "landmark year" for the Italian team given that they are designing and building their own car for the first time.
Since Red Bull bought the Faenza-based outfit four years ago, they have relied on either using year-old cars previously used by Red Bull Racing or chassis provided by Red Bull Technology - who also supply RBR.
However, with the loophole allowing them to use so-called customer cars having now been tightened, the team must rely on their own expertise for the first time since their Minardi days.
The team took the covers off their Ferrari-powered STR5 at Valencia on Monday morning to reveal a chassis incorporating a 'double-decker' diffuser as well as a shark fin engine cover.
"2010 is a landmark year for Scuderia Toro Rosso as the new regulations demand that we go it alone in terms of designing and building our car in-house," said Tost.
"After four years of working in collaboration with Red Bull Technology, the STR5 is the first car that is one hundred per cent down to our own endeavors.
"Creating the necessary infrastructure to tackle this task has been our biggest challenge, possibly more difficult than actually producing the car itself. We have taken on an additional eighty staff and expanded our facility to accommodate them, including a Machine Shop to increase our production capacity.
"In addition, we have commissioned a wind tunnel in Bicester, England, which we bought from Red Bull. It will take time for the highly-skilled team we have assembled to learn to work together as efficiently as possible.
Of his hopes for 2010, Tost added: "Making predictions for the coming season is a dangerous trap, but if pushed, I would say we must aim to finish in the top eight in the Constructors' Championship, while giving our young drivers everything they need to improve, as well as optimising our infrastructure in order to be as competitive as possible in 2010 and beyond."
Sebastien Buemi is completing the STR5's shakedown test at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo on Monday, with team-mate Jaime Alguersuari taking over on Wednesday.
