In a day filled with Renault news, Toro Rosso became the latest team to announce that its 2016 chassis has passed the mandatory FIA crash tests ahead of pre-season testing.

The Italian team will entrust its new James Key-designed challenger to Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, who return to Faenza after their impressive rookie campaigns.

Having used Renault power units since the start of the latest turbo era in 2014, Toro Rosso has come back to the Ferrari fold, though it will race year-old engines.

“Mission accomplished! The STR11 has successfully passed all the crash tests!” the Red Bull junior outfit said on its official Twitter feed.

Toro Rosso finished seventh in the Constructors’ championship last year, while Verstappen was its highest-ranked driver in 12th with 49 points.

The two four-day pre-season tests will take place from February 22-25 and March 1-4 in Barcelona.

Julien Billiotte

Recent Posts

Rosenqvist finds 233 mph magic at Indy on Fast Friday

Sometimes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, speed doesn’t build gradually – it arrives like it…

38 minutes ago

McLaren powers up: Intel returns to F1 after 20-year hiatus

Nearly two decades after its last high-speed venture in Formula 1, American computing giant Intel…

2 hours ago

Verstappen admits to 'super tough' Nürburgring 24 Hours qualifying

Max Verstappen’s Nürburgring 24 Hours debut is already delivering the kind of storyline only he…

3 hours ago

Audi progress not to be judged until ‘the end of the year’ - McNish

Audi’s 2026 Formula 1 project is already under the microscope, but racing director Allan McNish…

4 hours ago

Verstappen set for second row start at Nürburgring 24 Hours

Max Verstappen will launch his long-awaited Nürburgring 24 Hours debut from the second row of…

19 hours ago

Cadillac's Towriss rejects backmarker label: ‘You don’t know much about F1'

Cadillac F1’s arrival on the grid in 2026 has been anything but quiet, and according…

21 hours ago