Max Verstappen thinks that his Toro Rosso bull will be energized this year by a full second a lap thanks to the team's switch from Renault to Ferrari power units.

Despite the reliability and performance woes which affected the Renault engine last year, Toro Rosso's STR10 chassis performed remarkably well in the hands of junior bulls Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, often giving their seniors over at Red Bull Racing a good run for their money.

The 2016 switch to Ferrari power, which Toro Rosso actually used from 2007 to 2013, will instill even more confidence into the team's potential and boost its fortunes according to the 18-year-old Dutch prodigy.

"Things are looking good," Verstappen commented on his website.

"Of course you always aim to improve the car but the first signs do look promising. The STR10 was already very good in fast corners, so I'm looking forward to what this year's car brings.

"The Ferrari engine is probably the biggest step. I'm expecting a lot from it.

"I'm expecting to gain at least a second a lap because of the engine performance alone, which is a lot. So I think we can make bigger steps than our close rivals."

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