Formula 1
Tost: F1 teams running two rookies have "no chance"
AlphaTauri Formula 1 team principal Franz Tost believes the days of teams running two rookie drivers is over as the gaps between teams continue to get smaller.
Filip Cleeren Jonathan Noble
Edited: Feb 11, 2022, 5:32 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
In 2021 Haas elected to run two debutants in Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, a strategy which AlphaTauri often employed in its Toro Rosso days.
But as F1's midfield teams squabble over mere one-hundredths of a second, and the discipline's budget cap is poised to bring teams even closer together in the future, AlphaTauri chief Tost feels teams will no longer be able to get away with leaving any performance on the table by running two inexperienced drivers.
"Nowadays with this [kind of] Formula 1, to have two unexperienced drivers you have a real big challenge and in the constructors' championship you will immediately be in the back," Tost warned.
"There is no chance with two rookies to be in the midfield or in the front, because the field is far too competitive, it's too strong. If you look to the qualifying times, it's hundredths of a second. I think in Saudi Arabia Pierre [Gasly] was at 0.087s behind [Charles] Leclerc, which is 78 centimetres or whatever, and that was two positions.
"And if you have a young driver, an unexperienced one, you're talking about tenths [they'll be behind], not about thousands."
Read Also:
- Gasly "can still improve" in 2022, says AlphaTauri F1 boss Tost
- How leader Gasly blossomed in "best season so far" in F1 2021
- F1’s budget cap not enough to close down top teams, says AlphaTauri
In 2021 AlphaTauri broke with tradition by having an experienced lead driver the team could rally around in Gasly, who enjoyed his strongest F1 season to date, to partner Honda's rookie protege Yuki Tsunoda.
While Tost said AlphaTauri will always be ready to accept young talents in its role as Red Bull's development team, he prefers to keep partnering rookies to an experienced lead driver.
"No, I think that the combination with one experienced driver [and a rookie is better]," Tost added.
"Then of course if there's a very high skilled young driver Scuderia AlphaTauri is always in a position and ready to educate a young driver."
After finishing sixth in the 2021 constructors' championship, largely carried by Gasly, AlphaTauri opted to keep both the Frenchman and Tsunoda on board for 2022.
Talking earlier about the decision to hand Tsunoda a second season at the team despite a troubled rookie year, Tost said the Japanese's campaign was a "fantastic example" of a rookie season and he now has his future "in his own hands".
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 COTA hires ex-Roma and Knicks senior exec Pannes
Next article ESPN keen to ride wave of F1’s US growth ‘a lot longer’
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Filip Cleeren
Five key takeaways from F1's big African Grand Prix reveal in Rwanda
Formula 1
Formula 1
Five key takeaways from F1's big African Grand Prix reveal in Rwanda
F1 signs historic 10-year Rwanda deal to host African Grand Prix
Formula 1
Formula 1
F1 signs historic 10-year Rwanda deal to host African Grand Prix
Latest news
Kaden Honeycutt wins incident-free Phoenix NASCAR Truck race, extends points lead
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Phoenix
1 h
Kaden Honeycutt wins incident-free Phoenix NASCAR Truck race, extends points lead
GTA VI 'Vice City' blimp to appear at NASCAR championship weekend
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
6 h
GTA VI 'Vice City' blimp to appear at NASCAR championship weekend
Verstappen Racing struggles to 15th as Porsche takes emotional Portimao pole
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
WCEE GT World Challenge Europe Endurance 7 h
Verstappen Racing struggles to 15th as Porsche takes emotional Portimao pole
Franco Colapinto urges fans to stop the abuse: “You’re not helping me or my future”
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
11 h
Franco Colapinto urges fans to stop the abuse: “You’re not helping me or my future”
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