The Toro Rosso STR4 marks the end of a technical era for the Faenza-based team, a town in the province of Ravenna in Emilia-Romagna, before the 2010 regulations required constructors to design their cars entirely in-house. In 2009, the synergy between Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso is still at its peak, and the STR4 (designed in England by Red Bull Technology) is essentially an adapted version of the legendary Red Bull RB5, created by aerodynamic genius Adrian Newey. The main difference lies in the engine: Red Bull uses Renault engines, while the STR4 is powered by a Ferrari V8. This, however, requires specific modifications to the chassis and cooling systems to accommodate the Maranello power unit, which is heavier, more powerful, and has different spatial requirements compared to the French V8. The technical staff of Scuderia Toro Rosso is also going through a crucial transition phase. Although the car is rooted in Red Bull technology, a highly skilled group of engineers operates in Faenza, tasked with integrating the Ferrari engine into a project originally designed for a different power unit, while simultaneously preparing for full design independence starting in 2010. This transition involves expanding from the 80–100 employees of the Minardi era to around 200–250 needed to independently design a new single-seater.
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| TORO ROSSO STR4, Sébastien Bourdais Istanbul Park, Turkish GP 2009 |
The team is led by figures who experienced the transition from the old Minardi to the new ownership of Dietrich Mateschitz (Red Bull), bringing with them a culture of efficiency and pragmatism. Team Principal Franz Tost is not a technical specialist per se, but the man responsible for managing and disciplining the entire team. His mission in 2009 is to grow the internal structure to stop being a “satellite team” and become an independent constructor. Technical Director Giorgio Ascanelli (former race engineer for Ayrton Senna) is a charismatic figure and the true technical cornerstone in Faenza. His main task in 2009 is to adapt Newey’s RB5 design to the Ferrari engine requirements, a complex micro-engineering job involving wiring, cooling, and weight distribution. The technical architects of the car work in England and include Adrian Newey (the genius behind the aerodynamic concept of the car, although not officially part of Toro Rosso, his influence on the STR4 is total), Rob Marshall (Chief Designer at Red Bull Technology, responsible for translating Newey’s ideas into the chassis delivered to Faenza), and Geoff Willis (Technical Director of Red Bull Racing and designer of the RB5’s mechanical components). Integrating a Ferrari engine into a chassis designed for another power unit requires dedicated specialists, and a group of Ferrari technicians from Maranello is permanently assigned (thanks to the geographical proximity) to monitor the V8 engine and gearbox parameters. A key role is also played by the pit wall staff, including Riccardo Adami (one of Toro Rosso’s main race engineers at the time) and Laurent Mekies (then chief track operations engineer, who would later have a brilliant career in the FIA and as Ferrari’s Sporting Director, before returning to Faenza in 2024 as Team Principal of Racing Bulls and later moving to Red Bull, replacing Christian Horner).
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| TORO ROSSO STR4, Sébastien Buemi Melbourne, Australian GP 2009 |
The STR4 adopts the nose concept introduced by Newey on the RB5, which would become the standard in the years to come. Unlike other 2009 cars, it is extremely narrow and sculpted on the upper side, with raised edges (the so-called “V-nose”). The goal is to channel as much airflow as possible toward the lower part of the car and the flat floor to increase the efficiency of the rear diffuser, crucial in a year when aerodynamics had been drastically simplified. The front wing features endplates designed to direct airflow outward around the front wheels (outwash), reducing turbulence caused by tire rotation. The STR4’s sidepods are among the narrowest and most tapered in the field, similar to those of the RB5. However, because the Ferrari engine requires differently sized radiators compared to the Renault unit, Faenza engineers must redesign the internal airflow without compromising the external profile shaped by Newey. Like Red Bull, Toro Rosso initially runs without the “double diffuser,” forcing the team to react after the FIA gives the green light by completely redesigning the rear end. This requires modifications to the rear suspension (notably complex on the STR4 due to its pull-rod layout, a rarity at the time that lowers the center of gravity) to allow airflow into the second level of the diffuser.
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| TORO ROSSO STR4, Sébastien Buemi Monza, Italian GP 2009 |
The STR4’s mechanics are a mosaic of interesting solutions, making the car complex and, in some ways, difficult to set up. The main challenge is integrating the structurally different Ferrari engine. The mounting points to the chassis and the gearbox casing must be adapted, compromising weight distribution and making the STR4 more nervous at the front. The Maranello V8 is considered one of the most powerful and robust engines in the field, but it requires larger cooling masses, negatively affecting the mechanical center of gravity. The gearbox, designed by Red Bull Technology, is also adapted to mate with the Ferrari clutch and power unit. Moreover, the Ferrari V8 is designed to work in synergy with KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), which Toro Rosso ultimately decides not to use in order to save the 25–30 kg weight of the system.
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| TORO ROSSO STR4, Jaime Alguersuari Hungaroring, Hungarian GP 2009 |
The drivers for the 2009 season are Swiss Sébastien Buemi and Frenchman Sébastien Bourdais (coming off four titles in the American CART/Champ Car series). The difficult adaptation to the more powerful and demanding Formula 1 cars leads to Bourdais being dismissed mid-season, replaced by Spanish rookie Jaime Alguersuari. Despite very limited pre-season testing, the STR4 debuts impressively in Australia, with Buemi finishing 7th on his debut, followed by Bourdais in 8th. In this single race, the team scores 3 points (under the old scoring system), nearly half of its total for the entire season. After this early success, the STR4 begins to slip down the grid, partly due to the superiority of rival cars and partly because, as a satellite team, updates arrive late. Additional 8th-place finishes come in China and Monaco, and after a completely disappointing mid-season, Buemi returns to the points only at the end of the year, with a 7th place in Brazil and an 8th in Abu Dhabi. Despite being a technically and aerodynamically sound car, the STR4 suffers from significant internal instability, as the team is more focused on transitioning to full technical independence in 2010 than on achieving results in 2009.
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