Tost: “Toro Rosso is a school for beginners”
Toro Rosso changed its driver duo for 2012 by signing Ricciardo and Vergne. Franz Tost justified this decision based on the goal of the Italian team, which is to train young drivers from the Red Bull program.
The Toro Rosso team announced on Wednesday its two drivers for the 2012 season, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne. The two men are replacing Sébastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari, who did not sufficiently convince in the last two seasons.
Franz Tost, the team director, reiterated that Toro Rosso’s main role was to serve as a training school for Red Bull’s young driver program’s rookies, and if these rookies do not meet expectations, they must be replaced to test other drivers.
«Sébastien (Buemi) had been with us for three seasons and Jaime (Alguersuari) for two and a half. They both worked hard for the team, doing their best and achieving good results. But the goal of Scuderia Toro Rosso has always been to be “a school for beginners,” and with two seasons under your belt, you are no longer a beginner, » explained Tost.
In Red Bull’s concept, Toro Rosso should be a nursery for young drivers and only a stepping stone before joining Red Bull Racing. But considering the presence of two drivers for 2012 at Red Bull Racing – Vettel and Webber, and the emergence of two new Red Bull drivers – Ricciardo and Vergne – a choice had to be made.
In an ideal world, drivers should move from Scuderia Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing, but there is no free spot in our sister team at the moment. This can be seen as a tough decision, but Formula 1 is a difficult environment and Toro Rosso has always been very clear on the principles behind the driver choices.
Tost also stated that despite Daniel Ricciardo’s experience – 11 F1 Grand Prix (compared to 0 for Vergne), the Australian driver will not be the team’s number 1, even though he should, logically, be ahead of his teammate at the start of the season.
« No (Ricciardo will not be number 1), even if given his experience in Formula 1, it would be natural to see him fit into his role more quickly. However, Jean-Eric has shown that he learns fast, so I expect him to be up to speed quickly. It will be important for the team to ensure they can give them as many kilometers as possible during winter testing. »
The Austrian manager also believes that Red Bull’s decision needed to be made as early as possible to ensure that the drivers are ready for the 2012 season, especially since they are joining a new team.
It is always good to know who your drivers are as early as possible. On one hand, weeks of speculation are always a distraction from the team’s work. Even if we know our two new drivers well, it means they are already ready to work with the engineers, assimilate the information, and even give their opinion on some details of the new car. It also means that I am sure they will take their physical training seriously this winter!
Tost did not wish to discuss the duration of Ricciardo and Vergne’s contracts, simply explaining that if they perform convincingly on the track, it will help them continue with the team.
« We do not wish to discuss our drivers’ contracts, but let’s just say that their level of performance in the car is the only deciding factor, and if they do a good job, it will speak in their favor to stay with us longer, » added Tost.
