Toro Rosso's new car is "on schedule" and will be ready for the first pre-season test at Jerez, according to Daniel Ricciardo.
The team are yet to confirm the launch date of their STR8 challenger, but Ricciardo has confirmed that he will do the driving duties on the first day in Spain on February 5 with his team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne getting behind the wheel later in the week.
"I'll be driving the first day, the fifth of February," Ricciardo told the official Toro Rosso website. "So not long at all, three weeks I think - I can't wait. It looks good of course; the team say everything is running to plan and on schedule, which is the first thing you want to hear."
The Faenza squad couldn't quite live up to their 2011 performances last season as they finished ninth in the Constructors' Championship with 26 - 15 points less than they accumulated in the previous campaign.
As with every other team though, Ricciardo and the rest of the squad are optimistic about their chances, but they are not getting carried away.
"In terms of how the car's going to perform, no one is really going to say too much until we're out on the track," he said.
"Even if they tell me it's the best thing since sliced bread, I'm not going to get too excited until I drive it and feel comfortable. But we've got good expectations, definitely."
