To ensure its 2016 Formula One chassis is ready on time, Toro Rosso have enforced a 24-hour, 7-days a week shift pattern until the first day of pre-season testing.
With sister-team Red Bull’s delay in announcing its engine for next season, its been a knock-on effect for Toro Rosso.
Red Bull confirming its Renault engine earlier this month opened the way for Toro Rosso to confirm it would use 2015-spec Ferrari units for the 2016 season.
With this delay, it has severely hampered their plans for 2016, forcing team boss Franz Tost to introduce a 3 shift constant working pattern at its factory.
“We re-planned the manufacturing processes and decided to go for a three-shift, across seven days, 24 hours to be ready for the first test,” Tost told Autosport. “From Toro Rosso’s side, we can organise everything in the best possible way.
“Our main problem is other suppliers and their Christmas holidays. Most of them are closed for a minimum 10 days and this will make it tough for us. We’ve never had to enforce a 24-hour a day shift pattern for this long before.
“In February, the last days before you finish the car, you sometimes have those days but it’s maybe normal for only one or two days. But we will have this system in place now for December, January and half of February so two and a half months. We have brought in a high number of contractors just for this short period to do this.”
Pre-season testing starts on 22 February at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
