James Key: “We worked better at the rear than Ferrari”

BARCELONA – During the lunch break on the last day of the winter tests in Barcelona, ​​we met the technical director of Toro Rosso, that James Key who many see as the very first candidate for the legacy of the wizard Newey in Red Bull: it is inevitable to talk about the newborn STR11 and of the solutions designed by the engineers to create an excellent single-seater, despite the very short timescales dictated by the prolonged dispute over engine supplies for Milton Keynes and Faenza:

AMD: Between the first test session and the second, here in Barcelona, ​​there was a lot of speculation about the car you used, especially in the initial four days, indicating it as a 2015 car with some updates to the new one. What is the truth?

JK: “Absolutely no. We have been using the STR11 since day one: with the engine change it would not have been possible to assemble a mix with the 2015. Furthermore, we introduced solutions that would not have worked properly with the old single-seater: we have designed our own s-duct system by modifying its canonical conception and going in a different direction than what Mercedes did, precisely because our nose is different from that of the W07.”

AMD: You mentioned the engine change: when did you get the 2015 Ferrari dummy? What differences are there, between dimensions and power, with the Renault of the same year?

JK: “You won't believe it, but we didn't have any information on the engine before December: due to the extremely prolonged negotiations, we were forced to replan all the work processes, reaching the point of covering the entire 24 hour period with three rotating shifts, a huge effort by all the guys in Faenza. The differences are many, but essentially we can talk about greater size and power for the Ferrari.

AMD: Looking at the rear end of the STR11 it is clear that a great job has been done, despite the significant dimensions of the Ferrari Power Unit, managing to bring a single-seater with a very narrow rear end onto the track.

JK: “Yes, it's true: despite the delay, we perhaps managed to improve the positioning of the Power Unit, cooling and electronic components, compared to what Ferrari did on the SF15-T, obtaining an excellent result that satisfies us very much. Obviously only in Melbourne will we know if our choices were right and where we can position ourselves on the grid.”

We want to thank you James key , Scuderia Toro Rosso for availability

Text and Photos Alessio De Marco