Toro Rosso STR14, 2019

First pictures: Toro Rosso STR14 is ready for 2019

2019 F1 season

Posted on

| Written by

Toro Rosso has revealed the first images of its new contender for the 2019 F1 season, the STR14.

The car is powered by Honda’s new RA619H hybrid engine. This is the first time in four years Toro Rosso have enjoyed continuity in their power unit supplier from one year to the next, having previously switched between Renault and Ferrari.

As parent team Red Bull has joined Toro Rosso is using Honda power, the two teams have been able to share more parts for the upcoming season. F1’s rules set down which parts of a car a team must design itself, but Toro Rosso is now able to obtain more ‘non-listed parts’ from Red Bull.

The junior Red Bull squad finished ninth in the championship last year, ahead of only the struggling Williams outfit. However there were encouraging signs of potential in the Toro Rosso-Honda package, such as Pierre Gasly’s excellent fourth place in Bahrain, and the team’s sixth and seventh on the grid at Suzuka when Honda introduced a significant power unit upgrade.

While Toro Rosso has changed both its drivers for the upcoming season, the line-up is not entirely new. Daniil Kvyat first drove for the team five years ago and is making his return after spending 2018 as one of Ferrari’s simulator drivers.

Kvyat’s team mate is newcomer Alexander Albon, who finished third in Formula Two last year behind fellow 2019 F1 debutants George Russell and Lando Norris. Albon had a contract to drive for Nissan’s Formula E team this season, but scrapped the deal after he was offered the chance to return to the Red Bull fold for the first time since losing his place on their junior driver programme in 2012.

Go ad-free for just £1 per month

>> Find out more and sign up

Video: Toro Rosso STR14 launched

Pictures: Toro Rosso STR14 launched

This article will be updated

[smr2018test]

Don't miss anything new from RaceFans

Follow RaceFans on social media:

2019 F1 season

Browse all 2019 F1 season articles

Author information

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...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

43 comments on “First pictures: Toro Rosso STR14 is ready for 2019”

  1. I’m quite fond of the Toro Rosso livery so it still looks really nice, but had kinda hoped they’d mix it up a little.

    1. Sonny Crockett
      11th February 2019, 18:25

      After some of the recent sponsor shenanigans, I’m just relieved it’s not got “Crystal Meth” emblazoned on it….

  2. I really like this livery. And the darker rims make it even better.

    Delete the Halo and that’s one sexy looking beast from the side.

    1. Honestly, I hoped engineers would integrate it better this year.

  3. A lot like last year then? Very nice!
    Though I’m not sure what a “Red Bull” is. Can I smoke it?

    1. I think you can vape it; potentially might possibly reduce the risk to consumers ;)

      1. Prefer the cans with filters – it prevents the sugar to get into your lungs.

    2. Don’t be a smart alec, stay away from red bull drinks, but atleast they are not banned from the sport.

  4. Wait… apart form sponsors labels, nothing changed?
    I hope they put money saved on redesign into good use :)
    Drivers overalls look better tough (seen on instagram).

  5. Car named “Toro Rosso”.
    Big “Red Bull” signage on both wings.

    That said, I do like their nice clean colours, it looks good in photos and on track. Can’t wait to see if Kvyat can bring back some magic in one.

    1. Interestingly Red Bull is the main sponsor for Toro Rosso.
      Whereas for RBR it is Aston Martin being the title sponsor.

      1. @coldfly – heh, nice one.

  6. Wow Albon’s helmet is immediately the best on the grid. What a beauty!

    1. I was thinking the same thing…it’s a cracker.

    2. I was about to say that for Kvyat’s one! :)

  7. Major let down. They had better race suit. They start the video promo with black & gold line. But the livery is just 2018 copy.

    The only good one is Kvyat helmet.

  8. the front wing looks horrendously massive….

    1. I thought the same thing. don’t know if it’s the camera angles or my imagination but it looks like a snow plow up there. Good luck keeping them in one piece.

      1. Fear not – it’s just a wide-angle lens. Check the much larger rear wheels which here appear to be dwarfed by the fronts…

  9. Many elements from earlier McLarens

  10. There’s really no detailing on their front wing and bargeboard area. I’m guessing this is nowhere close to what we’ll see in Australia.

    Also think Albon’s helmet looks awesome.

  11. @spiderman that’s gonna be my 2019 Halo, unfortunately

  12. Those endplates look like advertising boards on the side of the track but its all dummy aero at the moment i guess. I think I need more than Red Bull to get worked up about this one. Maybe when McLaren release their new car it will have a link up with the actual devil because they may as well such has been the fuss the petty coat raisers have made about e cig sponsorship

  13. Daniil’s helmet looks kind of retro, somehow. I feel like the design evokes the old 60’s open face look, despite how it doesn’t look like one of those helmets at all.

    Weird, but nice.

    1. Paul F – does it worry you that your logo reminds me of Rich Energy…? ;-)

  14. Sidepod intakes are getting smaller and smaller

  15. Wow, it has quite the pair of barge boards looking at it from a head on view! The front wing looks huge and the FW end plates look like they’ve come from a car 10 years ago.

  16. Shaun Robinson (@)
    11th February 2019, 14:04

    Making good use of the additional space for sponsorship above the barge boards……. NOT.

    Other than that the aero looks quite clean – though I suspect this will change massively before Melbourne.

  17. Shocking: none of the drivers use Arai lids, and Kvyat’s one actually looks good!
    The car itself is a mix of last year’s Red Bull and Ferrari challengers… and apart from those tiny MyWorld and Casio stickers has no sponsors: that must hurt Mateschitz’s pockets

  18. Does anyone know whether these 2019 cars will be faster than 2018? I would assume these simpler front wings will create a lot less downforce and therefore make them slower around the track?

    1. The front wings are less complex, but much larger. And a larger portion of the wing is used for direct downforce generation rather than outwashing or vortex initiation, so they should actually produce more downforce this year. Rear wings are also larger to compensate for that so the aero balance front-rear stays reasonable. But, with less outwash the rest of the car will be less efficient. For example, the floor and diffuser (which stands for about 60% of the total downforce) will most likely have lost some performance compared to last year. My guess is overall it will be be about the same as last year. Later in the season maybe a little bit quicker even, but not really noticeable from a spectator point of view.

  19. just now I realize the livery resembles a Simply Cola can (also owned by Red Bull). hahaha. what a dumb.

  20. Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
    11th February 2019, 14:32

    Really unusual look for Kvyat’s helmet

    1. Indeed, bold design, a fresh change!

  21. I’m predicting an 80% drop in comments of hate for the halo in 2019 launch cars now that everyone is used to it.

  22. new rules = a sponsors wet dream!

    clean lines for now…

  23. A decent-looking car, better than the Haas VF-19, and I also very much like Albon’s helmet design, but Kvyat’s new design not as much. I prefer his 2014-2017 design over this one.

  24. Basically the same as the previous two years, which is fine to me as IMO their 2017 car had one of best looking liveries they’ve designed.

  25. Wider frontwing, higher rearwing and a longer chassis. The cars are getting closer to the hideous 2009-2016 looks, just upscaled.

  26. Racecar is racecar backwards
    11th February 2019, 16:51

    Maybe it’s just me but f1 cars seem to get longer every year.

    1. @Racecar is racecar backwards Yes, it’s just you. To me, it doesn’t look any longer than the cars of the last two seasons, for example.

      1. Racecar is racecar backwards
        13th February 2019, 7:23

        maybe no longer than last few seasons but huge difference to ten years ago
        http://i.imgur.com/uv2MEkI.jpg

        1. Racecar is racecar backwards
          13th February 2019, 7:33

          Although the Toro Rosso has had one of the shortest wheelbases on the grid in recent years, maybe it’s been lengthened due to the Red Bull rear end.

Comments are closed.