Franz Tost wants ruthless winners in his cars
Published on 01 November 2014 by Stefan Meens
After it was announced Max Verstappen will contest the FIA Formula 1 World Championship with Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2015, the Dutchman is being prepared by Red Bull for his Grand Prix début. So far he has completed two Friday free practice sessions during a Grand Prix weekend (Japan and the United States). Next week, he will participate in free practice 1 at Interlagos in Brazil, before driving the first practice session during the final round of the season in Abu Dhabi
Max' Scuderia Toro Rosso team boss, Franz Tost, explained to formula1.com that the 17-year-old Red Bull Junior will also drive both days of the Abu Dhabi “rookie” test, the Tuesday and Wednesday after the Grand Prix. "Max Verstappen will be doing the Abu Dhabi test alone. He will be doing both days in the car. That is very important, as he will get a lot of mileage in those two days to learn about the car and the team and to work with the engineers.”
With Sebastian Vettel leaving Infinity Red Bull Racing, STR driver Daniil Kvyat is promoted to the Milton Keynes based squad. This means Max' team mate for 2015 is yet to be confirmed. Tost: “I think the drivers that are shortlisted for Toro Rosso are: Jean-Eric, Carlos Sainz Junior, Pierre Gasly and Alex Lynn. All four are Red Bull drivers and it will definitely be a Red Bull driver.”
The Austrian added: “Everything is still open. Nothing is decided yet. Red Bull will make a decision within the next weeks and then we will know whether we will head into the 2015 season with two rookies or with one experienced driver and one rookie.”
Tost himself clearly states his preference for the remaining STR seat. “I would prefer an experienced guy in the second cockpit alongside Max.” Verstappen junior echoed his future team boss' sentiments earlier on in the week when he expressed he would like Jean-Eric Vergne as his team mate.
Regardless of the outcome, Tost is positive for the future. "F1 has become fairly complicated and normally you need a reference - especially with the new car that we will have next year - and with two rookies you don’t have that reference. To sort out problems it is helpful to have the feedback of an experienced driver. But we have also proven in the past that we can do it with two rookies. So I am open to anything.
Helmut Marko, head of the Red Bull's driver development program, compared Max to Ayrton Senna. Tost, however, is not too interested in comparisons. “I generally don’t compare drivers with others. Let’s wait to see how Max will develop. Drivers who win championships must be selfish, ruthless and egotistical. This is what winners are like. So I always tell people: ‘please bring me ‘bastards’ for my cockpits!’ Haha!”
