His stint in cost has been overwhelmed amongst present bosses solely by Christian Horner, who began at Pink Bull a 12 months earlier, and whereas the Italian outfit hasn’t matched the sister workforce by way of outcomes, that was by no means the intention.
Its focus has at all times been to coach younger drivers, and as such it helped to create two world champions for Pink Bull within the type of Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. Different graduates have both established themselves in F1 or moved on and located constant success in Components E or WEC.
The Italian GP wins achieved by Vettel in 2008 and Pierre Gasly 12 years later are the apparent standouts in statistical phrases.
Nonetheless, Tost himself prefers to think about the larger image moderately than particular person outcomes, having succeeded in creating a powerful organisation on the naked foundations of the previous Minardi workforce.
“When Dietrich Mateschitz known as me and stated you go now to Italy,” he says when requested concerning the highlights. “And once I got here there and noticed the way it regarded like, as a result of I could not consider that that is the infrastructure for an F1 workforce! After which to construct the workforce up.
“, it was not one spotlight. It was a improbable time to construct along with the workforce, Scuderia AlphaTauri, and to start with, Toro Rosso. And I need to say in Italy, particularly Emilia Romagna and Faenza, it’s a improbable space.
“You could have actually good folks there, you may have enthusiastic folks there. They’ve ardour for F1, they wish to work. And it was an actual pleasure to construct every part up along with these folks.
“And it isn’t one spotlight, after all You will note now somebody can say the 2 wins in Monza have been good. No, it is usually every part. After which additionally to see that the workforce labored efficiently.
Franz Tost, Staff Principal, Toro Rosso, and Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
“Mateschitz stated you need to educate younger drivers. After which if you happen to see that Vettel received races and championships, the identical with Verstappen or with Daniel Ricciardo who received races. and [Carlos] Sainz and [Pierre] Gasly.
“That is good. And to see now how Yuki [Tsunoda] is creating, after which [Nyck] de Vries may even get there. So, it is a good feeling for the workforce.”
Is he pleased with having been so intently concerned within the careers of all these guys?
“I do not just like the phrase ‘proud’,” he says. “I’ve no motive to be proud about something. It is the workforce. And the workforce did a very good job, I need to say, additionally with educating the younger drivers, as a result of it is far more difficult and a a lot larger workload than folks assume.
“And our engineers, particularly the information engineers, and race engineers, spend a number of time with younger drivers, sitting collectively, analysing the races and analysing qualifying, free practices.
“And this takes a number of effort, and subsequently I need to say thanks to the workforce and to the engineers for his or her good job.”
It was simply previous to the Azerbaijan GP that rumours started to swirl round AlphaTauri. The suggestion was that Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies can be returning to Faenza, though in what capability wasn’t clear.
Nonetheless, logic advised that it might solely be within the function of workforce principal, which might imply that Tost can be out.
The reality emerged in a press launch hurriedly issued by the workforce simply earlier than Baku on the particular request of Tost, to place a cease to the rumours. Sure, he was leaving, however in a managed method and on the finish of the 2023 season. He’d determined that at 67 it was time to retire and transfer on.
Mekies would certainly be becoming a member of, however at a time to be agreed by Ferrari, to work alongside a brand new CEO, former FIA man Peter Bayer.
Tost is little question real in his assertion that that is his resolution, one which was even mentioned with Mateschitz earlier than the Pink Bull boss’s loss of life.
Nonetheless, it was additionally time for change at AlphaTauri as the principle firm reorganises within the post-Mateschitz period, and its second F1 workforce has to justify its existence. Horner definitely backs the brand new twin-pronged management association, which he sees as probably bettering the synergies between the 2 groups.
“It was my resolution,” says Tost. “It began already two years in the past, I mentioned it additionally with Dietrich Mateschitz in these days. As a result of I am now 67 years outdated.
2008 Italian Grand Prix – Sunday Race
“And once I was youthful, I at all times stated to myself if you happen to’re in a number one place, then you shouldn’t glue on the seat, you need to give this place to youthful folks, extra intelligent folks, inventive folks, motivated folks.
“And now I’ll the 70s, and it is time to say goodbye. I like F1. But it surely’s a narrative which as soon as has to finish. And particularly now with the answer with Peter Bayer as CEO and with Laurent Mekies we’ve got two improbable individuals who will exchange me. And I believe it is one of the best time to exit from F1.”
As a part of the departure preparations, Tost will retain a consultancy function, though he insists that he will not be interfering with the brand new bosses.
“I can inform you now, I am not the man to look behind the shoulders or what Peter and Laurent will do,” he says.
“They’re actually excellent. They usually know what to do. I will probably be there initially, when they’re coming, one month or so. However then 100%, I’ll step again. I am not an individual to advise somebody and to inform somebody what to do. They comprehend it.
“It is also essential, and that is additionally a private need, a want from my aspect, the workforce has to step up, to come back to a different degree. And I’m there now for 18 years. And this was at all times my intention to herald new folks, new concepts.
“F1 is creating very quick, they’ve perhaps totally different factors of view, and they need to do it. And I’m satisfied they’ll do it a lot better than myself. Due to this fact it is higher if I shut my mouth.”
AlphaTauri is following a current development that has seen a highly-qualified engineer within the workforce principal function, usually working in tandem with a CEO who has extra of a enterprise and political overview of the organisation. In different phrases, it is now not a job for one clear chief.
“I believe it is a good constellation,” says Tost. “As a result of then you may have one particular person being focused on the technical aspect, and you’ve got a second one who is extra on the organisation, advertising and marketing and technique for the long run. All this type of stuff.
“As a result of it is actually a number of work for a workforce principal if you happen to take every part collectively, and subsequently this constellation I believe is an efficient risk for the long run.
“F1, now with 24 races, it is a number of work to do. And they are much cleverer than me, as a result of I work 24 hours, and they’re going to divide it 12 hours every!
Franz Tost, Staff Principal, AlphaTauri, with Laurent Mekies, Sporting Director, Ferrari
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“Significantly, it is higher if there is a CEO and the workforce principal, as a result of you need to make the construction for the long run. And racing itself is such an intensive job, that it is higher it is being break up by two folks.”
The drivers with whom Tost labored did not at all times have a straightforward time, as a result of very like Helmut Marko, he has at all times stated precisely what he thinks. Nonetheless, they’ve constructive opinions of him as a boss.
“I spent slightly bit over a 12 months with Franz,” says Verstappen. “And particularly once you’re simply initially of your profession, I believe it is good to have an individual like Franz round you, I believe he was serving to me so much to start with as properly, giving me recommendation and sharing expertise as properly.
“I believe everybody once they be a part of, they wish to obtain so much in a really quick time, however it’s generally essential to only calm every part down. And yeah, simply having these sorts of chats with him, I believe helped so much.
“Operating Toro Rosso and AlphaTauri after all, for such a very long time. He has seen a number of expertise additionally progressing to the principle workforce. It is a tremendous profession. And, after all, I believe most of all it is unhappy to see him go, however at one level when you may have finished so a few years in F1 it’s time for a bit extra household time as properly.”
“I like Franz so much as an individual,” says Alex Albon. “He was a real sort of racer. I felt like he was very technical in his method, and I believe as he had so many rookies coming into the workforce, he positively had an understanding for what it took.
“I spent six months kind of within the workforce. He actually received me to know what it takes to be an F1 driver and virtually get ready for it, as a result of I believe coming from F2 you by no means actually perceive what you are in for. However he is clearly had that have with lots of people, a number of drivers.”
“I’ve a number of respect for Franz,” says Carlos Sainz. “He is been a part of that workforce for a very long time and there is so many younger drivers which were a part of, on the time Toro Rosso now AlphaTauri, and he is helped all of us to turn out to be higher drivers, higher professionals, higher individuals for positive.”
Tost insists that when he lastly stops, he’ll swap his consideration again to snowboarding, an early love of his earlier than motor racing utterly took over his life.
Franz Tost, Staff Principal, Scuderia AlphaTauri, within the workforce principals Press Convention
Photograph by: FIA Pool
“After I was younger, I used to be at all times participating in ski races,” he says. “However the final 20-30 years, I merely did not have time anymore for going snowboarding and the final three years even not sooner or later. Why? Look to our calendar.
“We come again on the finish of November, starting December. Most frequently there is no snow in December. After which one of the best time for snowboarding is in February, March – there we’ve got testing.
“Then we go to Bahrain, this 12 months Saudi Arabia after which Melbourne, after which the ski season is over. Due to this fact, no time…”
