Toro Rosso’s technical director has taken us through the process of becoming a constructor again, the season ahead and how the thoughts of Mao Tse-tung apply to the team’s challenge in 2010.

“At the end of last year, we had already increased our staff to around 150 and now we have 200. At the end of March ’09, we got the green light as to what actually constituted being an F1 Constructor. That was the starting point for building up our operation in such a way that we could actually design a car that was achievable in engineering terms, working in a different way to the methods we had adopted in the past”

“Being recognised as a Constructor involves owning the intellectual property rights to what are defined as the listed parts: these are effectively the monocoque, the safety structures that are subject to homologation and crash testing, which means the rear and front structures, primary and secondary roll-over structures and the complete aerodynamic package, the suspension, fuel and cooling systems.”

“Before even thinking about producing a car, we had to acquire the right tools to carry out these tasks and also hire the people who are to use these structures. Finding 50 people and putting them in an environment where they can do their job has been a tough task.”

“As for the challenge we face this season, to quote Mao Tse-tung: 'we should not be talking about what we will do when we have crossed the river, we must first get the bridges and ships with which to cross the river.' We have started by building those bridges and ships. We are not quite there yet and, at this stage, getting everyone to work together in a productive fashion is our most important task.”