Exclusive interview Franz Tost
Published on 29 December 2014 by Stefan Meens
During the recent factory visit of Verstappen.nl at Scuderia Toro Rosso in Faenza, we sat down with Max Verstappen’s new team boss Franz Tost. In his office, he took time to openly answer all of our questions. Topics discussed include the team, modern day F1, the 2015 season and, of course, Max.
Tost, a former racing driver, started his managerial career in Formula 1 with BMW before being appointed Toro Rosso team boss in 2005, starting the 2005 season. The most successful moment in the team’s history thus far is Sebastian Vettel’s Grand Prix win at Monza in 2008. “For me personally, the highlight is the build-up of the team”, says Tost. The number of employees has increased from 85 to around 400 people. “There were many changes and we made a lot of progress. We had to change from racing a sort of customer car to one that is 100% designed and built by Toro Rosso.”
It’s busy in the factory in Faenza, with the development of the STR10, the 2015-car, in its final stage. Unsurprisingly, the team works closely together with Red Bull Racing. Tost: “Thanks to the regulations we can have the complete rear part of the car similar to or even the same as Red Bull. The gear box, and nowadays the suspension, can be the same. Red Bull has a very strong technical department and we have close communication with them.”
Toro Rosso also uses Red Bull’s simulator in Milton Keynes in which F1-rookies Max and Carlos Sainz spend a couple of days every fortnight. They can get to know the tracks and are able to learn how to set up the car.
In the decade that Toro Rosso has been part of the Formula 1 grid, the team has produced several top drivers that progressed to Red Bull. How does Tost feel about seeing his best drivers leave the team? “On one side it’s difficult because we want to keep the good drivers, but on the other hand this was always the plan. The philosophy of Red Bull and Dietrich Mateschitz is that Toro Rosso educates and prepares drivers for Red Bull Racing. That’s part of the game”, says the Austrian whilst sipping a can of Red Bull.
Max and his team mate Carlos are the latest Red Bull Juniors to make their F1 debut for Scuderia Toro Rosso. Tost first spotted the Dutchman nearly four years earlier when watching karting on TV. They first met two years ago at the Nürburging where Jos introduced his son. “Ever since, I’ve been keeping an eye on his career. I was very impressed with the way Max controlled the race in Varennes on his way to the karting world title.”
After Max’ success in world and European karting, the youngster progressed to single seater racing as he made his debut in European Formula 3. Tost, again, was aware of Max’ achievements. “I was also impressed with his F3 campaign, topping the leader boards on the first official test day in Budapest and winning ten out of 33 races.”
One of the things that stood out to Tost, was Max’ successful switch from karts into single seaters. “For a karting driver to be so competitive in such a strong driver field like it was this year in Euro F3, proves his skills are of a very high level. I was convinced about this and fortunately Red Bull took him under contract.”
Not long after Max became a Red Bull Junior, Max drove his first miles in a current Grand Prix car. “We started testing Max during Friday free practice, the first time in Suzuka. He showed that he has fantastic car control and he is already quite mature in terms of driving. You always have the feeling he has everything under control and he isn’t a passenger in the car. That’s quite important. If the car is good I’m convinced he will pretty soon score points in the races. I don’t think we’ll need to wait long.”
In terms of the team’s goals for the 2015 campaign, Tost is clear. “This year we finished in seventh place. We want to improve so the goal is sixth or better. The goal for the drivers will be to be as fast as possible, to finish the races and to score points. As a team we need to make sure the environment outside the car is prepared for them; all the press and marketing work, jet lags, what they are eating, how they train, etc. And if we provide Max and Carlos with a proper and competitive car they will do a good job”, says a confident Tost.
Some people in the paddock state the current generation of Formula 1 cars are too easy to drive. Tost does not agree. “Technically speaking, F1 is more complicated than ever. The drivers need to adjust the brake balance ahead of every corner and change the engine settings on all the straights as well as use the battery for the Energy Recovery System and set up the power unit for overtaking manoeuvres. Basically the drivers need to do much more in the cockpit whereas driving the cars is just as challenging as before.”
Scuderia Toro Rosso has a long tradition of bringing rookies into F1. Tost explains that nowadays the youngsters are very experienced when they arrive in Formula 1. “For someone like Max, the racing track has been his school. It’s pretty much where he grew up so he already has loads of racing experience. Also, he’s part of a computer generation that is used to pushing many buttons and changing settings on the steering wheel all the time. However, at the end of the day, the fastest drivers will always be at the front. Some things never change in that respect.”
An important aspect when driving in modern day Grand Prix racing is the tyre management. Sometimes it is better to conserve the tyres early on to save them for later in the race. This strategy requires discipline and is not always easy for rookies. Tost says: “We'll explain to the driver how to use the tyres. But it's something drivers must experience and feel themselves.”
Max knows he still has a lot to learn regarding the tyres. Nevertheless, Tost is happy with the youngster's progress. “Max knows he can learn more and thus far he's shown a fantastic understanding of the tyres. In addition, he's done several long runs. However, completing a full race is a different story.”
Looking ahead to the pre-season tests in February, consisting of three four-day sessions in Spain, Tost is clear. “We want to do plenty of long runs. Normally you would stick to stints of four laps but I want to see at least eight laps with consistent times on the clock. It’s something our drivers have to get used to”, concludes a confident looking Tost.
