Berger softpeddles STR's '07 prospects

By Andrew Cutler
January 27 2007

With new Ferrari engines and a brand new chassis to put them in comming to Scuderia Toro Rosso this year, it is understandable if some fans think that this team will move well up the grid in '07. As team co-owner, Gerhard Berger has to temper any such hopes with certain hard realities.

In a recent interview with autosport.com, Berger stuck a cautionary tone in regards to the team's prospects for 2007. "Well, we have to be careful at the end of the day we are a very small operation," he said. "We are 130 people in the operation. It is going to be difficult to squeeze the lemon to the maximum.

"What is clear is we are going to have a better car than last year and hopefully we are going to have better drivers this year than last year because if we stay with Tonio and Scott they are both in their second year, so we should improve.

"Saying this, from the back we saw at the end a quite strong Aguri, and they are doing a good homework, so to stay ahead of them is going to take us all efforts.

"And ahead of us is Williams, and Williams is a 600 people operation and to really be able to overtake them could be difficult for us, but at least to compete with them could be some fun."

Gerhard also told autosport.com that an announcement on the driver line-up should be comming within the next two weeks. He said that STR has yet to decide if they will employ a third driver for testing purposes.