Red Bull stablemate Sebastian Vettel may have established a reputation for giving his F1 cars saucy names, but Daniel Ricciardo is already looking forward to getting better acquainted with a machine he immediately labelled 'sexy' on its unveiling.

The Australian joined new Toro Rosso team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne and Cespa representative Santiago Bergareche in taking the wraps off the all-new STR7 at Jerez as the Italian team became the eighth to launch its 2012 programme, and admitted that he was excited at the chance to begin his relationship with the machine from the very first test rather than inherit midway through the year, as he did after being parachuted into the HRT line-up last year.

Ricciardo, who forms part of an all-new STR line-up with Vergne - the inexperienced pair having been called upon to replace Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari - admits that, with the latest set of regulations forcing the designers' hand somewhat, the STR7 is not the prettiest F1 machine he has ever seen, but nevertheless could not wait to get behind the wheel.

"With the new nose, it's not exactly beautiful, but I'd rather have a quick car than a pretty one, [and] the [2012] car definitely looks sexy," he claimed, "It's a bit emotional actually, seeing the first F1 car that will be mine to drive from the start of the season. Now I can't wait to drive it tomorrow - I don't think I'll need an alarm clock to wake up to start the day!”

Team-mate Vergne, meanwhile, said that he was happy just to get behind the wheel of a 'real' car, having spent a lot of time driving back at the factory.

“After the testing and all the work in the simulator, being here in Jerez unveiling the car, I feel like this is the real start to my F1 career," the former test and reserve pilot commented, "It's very exciting and the next two days are going to seem much too long, while I wait to get behind the wheel of the new car on Thursday and Friday.”

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