27/01/2014
NEWS STORY
While the nose of the STR9 might seem worryingly flaccid, drivers Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniil Kvyat insist the car has them excited.
As the Toro Rosso duo took the wraps of another 2014 contender, a car surely only its mother could have found attractive, the limp protrusion at the front, characteristic of the unveilings thus far, appeared even more flaccid that some of its rivals, leading to Pitpass suggesting, via Twitter, that the car might be in need of some Viagra and even suggesting the hashtag #F1accid.
But despite the sniggers, drivers Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniil Kvyat insist they are excited by the STR9 and the season ahead.
"This will be my third season in Formula 1 and I definitely feel better prepared than ever before," said the Frenchman. "From what I have seen in the factory, the same applies to the team. Now we must make the most of winter testing and work hard to ensure that all our efforts pay off. I am confident we have what we need to do well. From a driver's point of view, we will have a lot of new elements to understand and changes that will require us to adapt as quickly as possible. That will be one of the tasks for winter tests, so that we can make the most of the package available right from the first race.
"We will have to adopt a different style of driving, especially in the races, with this new power unit combined with the need to manage fuel, while the changes to the rule regarding levels of downforce will make the cars feel different, offering less grip, which will also take some getting used to. It's going to be a fascinating start to the year."
"I am very excited that I am about to start my first season in Formula 1," added Kvyat. "It will be a year of discovering many new things, which I expect will be very interesting. I can't wait to actually start the driving part, the best part of my job. Six days of winter testing is not a lot and I will have to see how quickly I get used to the new car, which wasn't a big issue when I drove the 2013 car. Being a rookie means there's a steep learning curve, but the bright side of this year's regulation change is that all the drivers will be getting used to a new way of driving, starting from zero. Anyway, I have always liked a big challenge.
"Physically, I feel ready after a good winter training programme, concentrating a bit on my neck muscles. The team hasn't set me any specific targets, so its just a case of getting on top of my game as quickly as possible."
Check out our STR9 gallery, here.