Franz Tost, the seasoned team principal of Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri, concluded his extensive tenure with the team, which started back in 2006 since its inception. Exiting Formula 1 after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Tost’s farewell was marked by a tumultuous moment sparked by a strategic blunder involving driver Yuki Tsunoda.
Despite the immateriality of the race outcome to the overall season, Franz Tost, known for his racing spirit, was visibly incensed by a strategy call in Abu Dhabi. Tsunoda, who had been performing well, suffered from an incorrect strategic decision, prompting Tost to express his frustration publicly.
Franz Tost reacts harshly to the failure of the strategists
Franz Tost attributed his anger during the Abu Dhabi race to the failure of the strategists to recognize the need to pit Tsunoda for tire changes. He lamented the unfortunate event as he said “You also have to educate the engineers of the computer generation. I was angry because our Yuki Tsunoda was left out far too long at the last race in Abu Dhabi. A blind man with a walking stick could have seen that he had to be brought in to change tyres so as not to lose his place to Fernando Alonso.”
Franz Tost comments on AT's strategy in Abu Dhabi 😬
"I was angry because our Yuki Tsunoda was left out far too long at the last race in Abu Dhabi. A blind man with a walking stick could have seen that he had to be brought in to change tyres so as not to lose his place to… pic.twitter.com/3GoJFWipjY
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) January 5, 2024
The further delay in reaction caused Tost to lose his temper. In a heated moment, Franz Tost threatened to throw the laptops of his strategists onto the track, criticizing their failure to prioritize common sense over computer simulations. Post the race, Tost commented “But the strategists just stared at their calculation programmes and believed the numbers. That was too much for me. So I threatened to throw their laptops on the road next time, but as it was my last race, it won’t happen again. You just have to make the computer kids realise: Computers can be an important tool, but nothing more. Common sense must come first, because after all, people wrote the programmes they are using.”
Despite his threat to throw laptops onto the road, Tost clarified that it was a one-time expression of frustration in his final race. He also joked about how the AlphaTauri engineers would be relieved by his departure.
Franz Tost, having completed a long stint as team principal, is now engaged in discussions regarding a new role within the Red Bull organization. The antics at Abu Dhabi Tost’s strong reaction highlights his unwavering work ethic and commitment to excellence.
