Toro Rosso left the formula one press scratching their heads when the team alluded to an ‘extra 300 rpm’ that had been allowed for their performance-limited V10 engines on Saturday in Hungary.
”But 17th and 19th places shows it didn’t make much of a difference, whatever some of the other teams expected,” read a team review.
”You can relax, guys!”
In the hours following the revelation, it was discovered that rival teams were, indeed, annoyed that the FIA upped the Italian squad’s Saturday rev allowance – to 17,000rpm – for the rest of the 2006 season.
”It’s a big joke,” Midland boss Colin Kolles was quoted as saying by ‘Speed TV’.
”We will have a meeting and discuss it. We will try to fight against it, we will not accept it.”
The FIA is arguing that, because unrestricted 2.4 litre V8 engines have become quicker, it is fair that Toro Rosso is given a boost. The ‘equivalency’ saga is a long-running one, with STR’s rivals initially riled that a part Red Bull-owned team be able to use a dispensation that had been designed for under-funded Minardi.
And while Toro Rosso is unlikely to be advantaged by the extra power at a tight circuit like Hungary, it could come in handy when top speed is of a premium, for example at Monza.
Frank Williams also commented: ”We are very unhappy about it.”
gmmf1 dailyf1news.com
