Buemi Rates Toro Rosso Inside the Top 5

One of the most improved teams in Formula 1 this season, at least if we are to trust from their car's pace in winter testing, is arguably Scuderia Toro Rosso. And according to race driver Sebastien Buemi, his STR6 should be Top 10 material this year, as he ranked his team in the Top 5 a few days before the beginning of the new campaign.

While teams like Virgin and Team Lotus have stated loud and clear that their aim for 2011 is to catch STR in the standings – as they were classified last from the established teams last year – the guys at Faenza kept quiet all winter and focused on their own development, coming up with a racer that many pundits praised from early February.

After some kind words from Fernando Alonso, who praised the work of Toro Rosso this winter, Buemi and teammate Jaime Alguersuari started giving optimistic predictions for 2011. And while that may not be the best way to enter a new campaign, Buemi insisted the high aims set for this year are quite achievable.

“No, honestly it looks pretty competitive,” he said about the STR6. “We seem to be among the first five teams, based on the hierarchy of the winter testing.”

“But since the regulations have changed significantly, the scope for development is strong at the beginning of the season, so things may have changed seriously by Australia,” he added, trying to keep his tone a bit more realistic.

The first driver to take the new STR6 to the track in the 2011 F1 season will by reserve Daniel Ricciardo, who has been confirmed in the car's cockpit for the first practice session of the Australian Grand Prix, this Friday.