Scuderia Toro Rosso team boss Gerhard Berger was in defiant mood at the launch of the team’s 2007 car, the STR2, at Barcelona yesterday, insisting that it is ‘very different‘ from the Red Bull RB3, also designed by Adrian Newey.

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With Williams and Spyker threatening court action over the legality of the car, team principal Franz Tost was also uncompromising.

“We have our own car, which is, in many aspects, totally different to the Red Bull car, and the design of the car is being made by Red Bull Technology, together with Adrian Newey, in co-operation with the designers of Toro Rosso. Therefore I think we are within the regulations.

When asked whether his team would be happy to accept not scoring constructors’ championship points this year, as Williams and Spyker have suggested, Tost replied: “No, no. No way.”

The launch of the new car involved just one driver, the newly-confirmed Tonio Liuzzi, due to ‘contractual’ issues with Scott Speed which may not be resolved until Melbourne.

Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen set the pace at Barcelona testing on Tuesday. Renault’s Heikki Kovalainen was third quickest.clivio.jpg

GP2 driver Clivio Piccione was hanging around at Spyker - surely not another test driver for a team that already has Markus Winkelhock, Adrian Valles, Giedo van der Garde, and Fairuz Fauzy on its books?

Australian Will Power went quickest on the final day of the Champ Car test at MSR Houston. Graham Rahal was second quickest, with Neel Jani third. Testing resumes on 7 March at Laguna Seca.