Toro Rosso running in full swing

Toro Rosso's works in Faenza is in full production mode as it prepares its new STR11 for the new season.

According to team principal Franz Tost, a schedule comprising several shifts has been implemented to insure the team's presence and that of its new contender when testing officially gets underway at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on February 22.

"We've got 480 people currently working at Toro Rosso," Tost told Autosprint.

"We've had to set up three teams which are working in succession around the clock, a situation justified by the fact that we started work late on the 2016 car because our engine supplier was chosen at a very late stage.

"Between now and early March, the workforce will be reduced to around 380, including the staff working at out wind tunnel in England."

Tost also said that, in his view, using a year-old Ferrari power unit was not ameaningful drawback for Toro Rosso this season.

"I don't think that engine is that old. If you look at the last race of last season, it was almost at the same level of performance as the Mercedes power unit."

Scene at the Pirelli wet tyre test