Within the Bahrain season opener Yuki Tsunoda began 14th and Nyck de Vries 18th, and neither driver made it into the factors.
In first observe in Jeddah on Friday, Tsunoda was a decent 10th quickest, three spots forward of his team-mate.
Regardless of that obvious signal of enchancment, Tost complained that over the winter his technical workforce promised that the brand new automotive would characterize a big step ahead, however to this point that hasn’t been realised.
“Sadly, I believe it is at present the efficiency stage of the automotive, as a result of we anticipated a significantly better automotive,” he stated when requested in regards to the Bahrain race.
“We struggled in Bahrain. It seems a bit bit totally different right here. I hope that not less than, we’re with one automotive in Q3 of qualifying, however we’ve to do a number of issues to make the automotive sooner. Particularly on the aerodynamic aspect, there are totally different programmes occurring.
“The engineers are telling me that we are going to make some good progress, however I do not belief them anymore. I simply wish to see the lap time, as a result of that is the one factor which counts.”
Requested if he actually meant that he didn’t belief his engineers, Tost was unrepentant.
“In the course of the winter months they informed me the automotive is unbelievable, we have made an enormous progress,” he stated. “Then we come to Bahrain and we’re nowhere. What ought to I say?”
Sparks kick up from Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri AT04
Photograph by: Mark Sutton
Elaborating on the weaknesses of the present bundle he stated: “Not sufficient downforce. Due to this fact the automotive is unstable below braking, overheating the rear tyres, washing out on the apex, unhealthy traction, all the pieces that it’s worthwhile to do lap time.”
Tost stated price cap restrictions wouldn’t forestall the workforce from creating the automotive and even altering idea.
“The finances cap doesn’t forestall us doing growth work, that is included in our marketing strategy,” he defined. “The query is now, can we go in the appropriate path?
“As I discussed earlier than, throughout the winter months we noticed that not less than on the paper, on the pc, we made massive progress compared to final 12 months’s automotive.
“However all these figures these days, as I discussed earlier than, I do not belief them anymore.
“I wish to see now with the following steps, that we go in the appropriate path, that we will enhance the efficiency of the automotive, that we’re ready to do that. And this can be a specialist work on the ground, brake ducts, and all the opposite aerodynamic components.
“I believe now with all of the data we’ve after Bahrain take a look at and after the Bahrain race, the engineers must be ready to type it out and to give you new components, which ought to enhance the efficiency of the automotive.”
He added: “We’re developing with updates to the following races, we’ll carry one thing to Melbourne and afterwards additionally to Baku. It is inside our programme that we carry to almost each race a small improve.”
