V8 teams ‘worried’ – report

V8 powered teams are reportedly worried that 'Squadra Toro Rosso' – the renamed Minardi team – could show up at Bahrain next March with a distinct horse power advantage.

The Faenza based team, formerly run on a shoestring by Paul Stoddart, has been taken over by Red Bull — a drinks company not short on cash.

Stoddart had lobbied the governing FIA to engineer a temporary relaxation into the new 2.4 liter V8 regulations, which would allow small teams like Minardi to run a performance-limited V10 in '06 and '07.

'Toro Rosso' do not intend to alter Stoddart's Cosworth plan, so have been told to limit V10 speed to 16,500 rpm along with a 77mm air restrictor.

However, Britain's Autosport magazine reckons the horse power of the V10 will drop from 900+ to around 750 in 2006 — which could still outclass the initial V8 efforts of Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes, Renault, Honda and Toyota.

Moreover, the Red Bull Jr team could also have a clear advantage over other private teams like Williams, Midland and Super Aguri, who will shell out millions for their V8s.

''We need to sort this out,'' a 'source' told the publication, ''because the … option was only introduced to allow Minardi to stay in business with a cheap engine.''

Elsewhere in the F1 media, grandprix.com reports that former Honda president Shoichi Tanaka could be installed as head of the carmakers' 'GPMA' association.