Breaking news
Formula 1
Lack of car knowledge "shocked" Tost in first Honda meeting
Toro Rosso Formula 1 team principal Franz Tost says he was "shocked" by how little specific car knowledge Honda had after its three-year partnership with McLaren.
Scott Mitchell Oleg Karpov
Edited: Jan 4, 2019, 9:32 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Honda started supplying engines to Toro Rosso at the start of 2018 and scored its best finish of the year, a fourth place for Pierre Gasly in Bahrain, just two races in.
The team finished ninth in the constructors' championship with 33 points and Honda signed a deal to supply the Red Bull parent team from next season, replacing long-time engine partner Renault.
Read Also:
"We had very good cooperation and we have a very good business relationship," Tost told Motorsport.com.
"If there is something which we detect on our side, we sit together, we discuss it, and then we try to find a solution.
"When we had the first meeting together with Honda, I was shocked, because they didn't know things which are related to the chassis or power unit.
"If you are coming together with a new partner, first you have to sit together to discuss to find out where we need to be concentrating.
"But it went very fast and very well because they were totally open and so were we from our side."
Honda has declared that the communication it enjoyed with Toro Rosso was the biggest off-track change it noticed from its time with McLaren.
While McLaren grew increasingly frustrated with Honda, having set out clear requirements for it to meet, Tost said Toro Rosso was only interested in improving the collaboration.
"The Toro Rosso philosophy is generally that we are transparent because our only target is to be successful," said Tost.
"There are absolutely no politics within the team. We have a really good relationship."
Toro Rosso has previously declared that the quality of Honda's product was better than had been made to believe during its struggles with McLaren.
Tost admitted that the team was prepared for 2018 to be a difficult transitionary season, but its expectations were surpassed by the Honda engine.
"I said last year quite clearly that it will not be an easy season, because of technical topics, which we have to sort out, but in the end, I must say that the power unit from Honda showed a much better performance than the chassis of Toro Rosso," said Tost.
"That means our deficiencies were not on the power unit side so much, we had our own deficiencies on the car.
"This was limiting us more, let me say it this way. Not the power unit. The power unit was OK."
Pierre Gasly, Scuderia Toro Rosso STR13
Photo by: Erik Junius
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Ricciardo stopped caring about intra-team battle stats
Next article Haas surprised itself with 2018 F1 form
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Scott Mitchell
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Formula 1
Formula 1
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Formula 1
Formula 1
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
Formula 1
Formula 1
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
More from
Racing Bulls
Liam Lawson rues Brazilian GP qualifying mistake despite third-place grid start
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
Liam Lawson rues Brazilian GP qualifying mistake despite third-place grid start
Racing Bulls promises "right decision" as Liam Lawson's F1 future remains in doubt
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
Racing Bulls promises "right decision" as Liam Lawson's F1 future remains in doubt
Latest news
WEC drivers question lack of full-course yellow after heavy Monza crash
WEC
WEC WEC
Monza
1 h
WEC drivers question lack of full-course yellow after heavy Monza crash
Kyle Larson, Cliff Daniels and the Hendrick 5 are who we say they are
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
3 h
Kyle Larson, Cliff Daniels and the Hendrick 5 are who we say they are
Final NASCAR Cup points standings after 2026 Homestead finale
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
7 h
Final NASCAR Cup points standings after 2026 Homestead finale
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe