Scuderia Toro Rosso is the final team to reveal its 2018 F1 contender, the Honda-powered STR13.
No, you didn’t misread the previous sentence; this year’s chassis will use a Honda power unit — a first for the team. After its less-than-impressive showing with McLaren, there’s a cause for concern.
Back in April, Honda and Sauber announced a partnership that saw its 2018 car using Honda power. That deal would never materialize as announced by the Swiss team last July, due to “strategic reasons”. McLaren would follow suit before year’s end, opting for Renault power instead.
As it stands, Toro Rosso will be the only team on the grid sporting a Honda power unit. Despite its troubled history, Team Principal Franz Tost remains hopeful:
“I am really looking forward to begin this new season and enter a new era for our team, working together with Honda. It’s an exciting time for Toro Rosso because we have not had our own engine supplier before, so to partner with a manufacturer, with the history Honda has, will be great.”
Tost notes the improvements in reliability made by Honda are impressive. While he believes the first three places are “gone this year”, a midfield battle isn’t out of the question. Surprising enough, it ran trouble-free in winter testing today, setting the fifth-fastest time. It may not be under race conditions, but the car recorded the highest mileage in the opening three hours.
Toro Rosso could very well prove itself a wild card, much to the chagrin of McLaren.
As confirmed last year, at the helm are drivers Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley. Both men debuted in the latter half of 2017 and will put forth their first full effort later next month. While both drivers may be F1 rookies, they bring some serious talent to the team.
Hartley won the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans and is a double World Endurance Champion. Gasly took home the 2016 GP2 crown, and took second in the 2014 Formula Renault and last year’s Super Formula.
With only a handful of races under their belts, both drivers will be looking to start the season off strong. Despite Toro Rosso’s hectic 2017 season, it finished seventh in the constructors’ standings. Here’s to hoping swapping from Renault to Honda-sourced power won’t prove itself a setback.
See more articles on F1 2018 Season, Honda, and Pre-Season.