Aware that further restrictions are possibleScuderia Toro Rosso, formerly the Minardi team, could wind up on the podium at the end of Sunday`s Bahrain opener.
That is the concern of Mercedes` competition boss Norbert Haug, who encapsulated the fear of much of the V8-powered Formula One grid.
`STR` will attack the 2006 season with a performance-limited V10 engine; a loophole devised by Paul Stoddart but now only questionably applied at a very well-resourced team owner like Red Bull.
The fear is that, coupled with a adaptation of last year`s Red Bull car, the Cosworth V10 will give Toro Rosso drivers Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed an unfair horse power and torque advantage.
"They could have up to 10 per cent more (horse power than the V8s). They also have more torque," said Haug.
"They were strong (recently) in testing here. They were not even far from Honda. They can go for a podium, I am convinced.
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Haug`s McLaren complement, Ron Dennis, admitted that if Liuzzi and Speed start to clock up very good results, opponents will surely get `very vocal`.
23-year-old rookie Speed, however, doubts Haug`s podium claim, also downplaying the seriousness of the saga.
"If we get a podium," the Californian said, "then immediately we will have a (further) restriction on our hands, which would be the right thing to do."
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