AlphaTauri head Franz Tost spoke about the tasks for 2023 – he believes the new car should be fast enough and allow the team drivers to regularly fight for points.
Question: The technical regulations have not changed much this year and the most important changes for AlphaTauri are related to the arrival of Nick de Vries. He spent only one Grand Prix in Formula 1, but overall he has rich racing experience and many championship titles. What results do you expect from him on the track and in interacting with the team while fine-tuning the car?
Francis Toast: Last year Nick took part in the only Formula 1 race at Monza and he did very well. In any case, he has a rich professional experience, he won races and championships in various categories. That’s why I’m sure he can show good results soon and finish in the top ten.
Q: What can you say about the car’s completion process throughout the season? Do you think he’s in trouble here?
Francis Toast: Nick is distinguished by high technical training and composure. At the end of last season he drove our car during the youth tests in Abu Dhabi and even then he gave the engineers very high quality feedback. I think he will immediately understand the features of the new car.
He will quickly feel comfortable behind the wheel and his information will be useful because, as I said, he understands very well the technical complexities of Formula 1. I think he is one of the best racers in this respect .
Q: Earlier you said that the rider needs three seasons to fully show what he is capable of. What does this mean for Yuki Tsunode as he enters his third season with AlphaTauri? What do you expect from him?
Francis Toast: Yuki had problems with his car last year. I expect we will have a pretty fast car this season, so Yuki should always aim to make it to the finals of qualifying and consistently finish in the top ten. Accordingly, he should earn much more points than in 2022.
Q: The transition to the new technical regulations certainly made it possible to tighten up the battle on the track, but it didn’t affect the balance of power too much. Do you think that cutting budgets and revising the rules for conducting research in a wind tunnel can lead to changes? Or should we wait a few more seasons?
Francis Toast: I think the whole pack is getting even tighter. Of course, the top three teams keep their lead, this is ensured by their developed infrastructure and a staff of highly qualified specialists, but I am convinced that in 2023 all cars will be much closer in terms of speed.
And one more thing: if Max Verstappen secured the title quite early last season, then I don’t think any of the drivers will have such a clear advantage this year. I think the battle for championship victory will continue until the end of the season. That’s what the fans want to see, and that’s what we all want to see.
Q: There are 23 races on the calendar this year, notably there is one more race in the US and the number of sprints has grown to six. What do you think of this calendar?
Francis Toast: Unfortunately there will only be 23 races, one less than planned. Everything should be fine as the stages are fairly evenly spaced from the beginning of March to the end of November, so I don’t foresee any problems. And whether this is the right number of Grand Prix also depends on how sharp the rivalry will be.
If the races are spectacular and interesting, if all the teams compete and the public sees a lot of overtaking, then 24 races are not enough and the public wants more of them. And if one or two cars immediately separate themselves from the rest and the races are boring, then ten races is too many. It all depends on the quality of the show.
Question Recently, the change of leaders in different teams has attracted more attention than changes in their lineups. You have led the team since 2006 and are the second longest serving CEO. What is the secret to your professional longevity?
Francis Toast: I like my job. I like Formula 1, although of course we have to achieve success, we have to have a good season, because the results are the main factor that influences such a longevity. If they are not there, something needs to be changed in the team, and this is the normal course of events.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
