Toro Rosso recruits chief designer from McLaren

2011 F1 season

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Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso, Buddh International Circuit, 2011

Toro Rosso has hired Luca Furbatto from McLaren as its new chief designer.

The 39-year-old, who was an assistant project engineer on the MP4-26, will join Toro Rosso next month.

Furbatto spent 11 years at McLaren.

Toro Rosso has expanded its technical staff since a change in the rules last year required the team to design its own car instead of using chassis supplied by Red Bull Technology.

2011 F1 season


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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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27 comments on “Toro Rosso recruits chief designer from McLaren”

  1. It would be nice to see STR move up on its own two feet and regularly knock at the door of Mercedes. A livery change would be nice too, have they hired any artists too? ;-)

    1. What?! Toro Rosso have one of the best liveries on the grid! Make Red Bull change theirs, it’s far duller!

      This news pleases me though. I’ve got a big soft spot for the team and it’d be great if they could get back to regularly having their 2008 levels of competitiveness.

      1. It’s been improved of late but if anyone’s going to stop being another billboard for red Bull, it’s not going to be Red Bull now is it!

        1. I’ve always felt that Red Bull would’ve done better to market their F1 team, as well as their products by adopting a color scheme more similar to the Red Bull can (more silver in the design). I think it would make them more identifiable with the fans (especially new fans). Personally I’ve always felt that them & Toro Rosso were too similar. Just my opinion, of course.

      2. Definitely. The Red Bull livery is mega-dull. The gold and purple is great!

    2. Maybe after à takeover, I think. I like it that Toro Rosso keeps on fighting and is still willing to invest, while in fact they are for sale since customercars weren’t allowed anymore.

    3. I love Italian red bull livery than english one :D

    4. Yeah, they used to have a great livery, but it really could do with something fresh. And then be another team with some perspective and spirit instead of just another Red Bull team.

      1. Did Giancarlio Minardi retain his 10% stake in the team when Stoddy sold out to Red Bull?

    5. If STR changed owner I doubt they would remain known as Toro Rosso, and thus would change livery. I love the car as it is now.

  2. STR is really developing. I don’t think Red Bull would sell them soon but when it comes, they would be much better team than Red Bull buy-out which is good.

  3. Maybe RedBull’s new challenge is to occupy the top 4 grid positions?

  4. i think that makes Luca Furbatto the only italian Chef Designer

    1. Taking with hi all the McLaren data to be past on to sister team Red Bull…

      1. My thoughts exactly

      2. Remind me why red bull would want it?

  5. STR is getting more serious with their project,I would love to know how do Red Bull Management do work with both of their teams? Do they have a plan of giving both the team equal support?

  6. Toro Rosso have had a great second half of the season…I was worried they would lack support, but they have really got there stuff together and are a great little team.
    I hope and can see them improving even more next year after what was a shaky ‘first’ year for them last in 2010.

  7. As good as it is to see Toro Rosso doing well, I find them the least interesting team on the grid. With only 12 teams in the world’s premier category, I’d like to see 12 unique identities.

    1. @bookoi I see where you’re coming from but I don’t mind the Red Bull teams in their current form. Although STR have only produced Vettel so far as a world champion, I expect he won’t be the last. Having STR design their own car is much better than RBR influence.

  8. What is happening at McLaren. Seems they are loosing allot of senior staff members to other teams

    1. They are gaining some too, such as Sam Michael from Williams.

    2. Agree with mvi. It’s the nature of the sport – the same people go round different teams. They lose some, they gain some.

  9. Most of those senior staff members leaving Mclaren have been on garden leave, so mclaren has northing to loose, all data they hold is of the past.

  10. Fantastic news. Toro Rosso have been really impressive in the last few races, and with their latest addition to the team, I hope they can improve further into 2012.

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