Toro Rosso confirm Liuzzi, wait on Speed

Team co-owner Gerhard Berger told Reuters that Speed remained on pole position for the drive but nothing had been signed yet.

"Everything is fine with Tonio, he's in the car and he's going to drive," he said in a telephone interview from Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya where the new Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso was due to make its first appearance.

"He's also our driver for this year. With Scott we still have some contractual issues to sort out. We are going to see later," he added.

"We analysed our drivers very well after last season and found their strengths and weaknesses quite well," said Berger. "We worked very hard together over the winter, especially with Tonio.

"He's going to make less mistakes in the second season, I think he's also working harder than in the first one so he's going to be better. But you're not going to see miracles because they just don't exist in Formula One."

The season starts in Australia on March 18.

Team principal Franz Tost would not elaborate on the reasons for the delay in confirming Speed, when asked at a press conference in Barcelona on Tuesday.

"There are some contractual issues to be sorted with Scott, but they are confidential," he said.