STR tests quick-shift gearbox at Silverstone

By Andrew Cutler
June 22 2007

Like most of the other F1 teams, Scuderia Toro Rosso took advantage of a three day testing session at the Silverstone circut to get some developement work in on the car before the heart of the European "leg" of the season beings. Top priority for the Faenza squad was getting some experience with a new "quick-shift" gearbox under their belts.

Due to flight delays that occured during his trip back from Indianapolis, Vitantonio Liuzzi was unable to climb into the car on Tuesday until the early afternoon hours. Nonetheless, he managed 50 laps on Tuesday and - in spite of the weather - another 83 on Wednesday, giving the team plenty of valuable information in the process. Scott Speed took over the driving duties for Thursday, and ran 65 laps: a figure that would have been higher if not for a power-train failure. 

"We did our homework on various solutions," commented technical director Giorgio Ascanelli. "Some paid off and some didn't. Until this afternoon, general reliability seems good, as we managed to put the equivalent of three race distances on the same quick-shift gearbox. In performance terms it seems better too, so to sum up these three days have allowed us to sign off new steering and suspension components and the quick-shift 'box for the French Grand Prix."