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Why race wins were not the highlight for departing AlphaTauri F1 boss

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His tenure is second among current bosses only to Christian Horner, who started at Red Bull a year ago, and while the Italian side have been underperforming their sisters in terms of results, that was never the intention.

Its focus has always been on developing young drivers, so it has helped Red Bull create two world champions in the form of Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. Other graduates either find their footing in F1, or move on and find continued success in Formula E or the WEC.

The Italian Grand Prix, won by Vettel in 2008 and Pierre Gasly 12 years later, is the clear standout statistically.

However, Tost himself prefers to think about the big picture rather than individual results, and he has managed to build a strong organization on top of the former Minardi team.

“When Dietrich Mateschitz called me and said you’re going to Italy now,” he said when asked about the highlights. “When I came out there and saw what it looked like, because I couldn’t believe it was the infrastructure of an F1 team! Then build the team.

“You know, it wasn’t a highlight. It was a fantastic time building with Scuderia AlphaTauri and at the beginning with Toro Rosso. I must say in Italy, especially Emilia Romagna and Faenza, it was a fantastic the competition area.

“There are really good people there, passionate people there. They have a passion for F1, they love working. It’s been a real pleasure to build everything with these people.

“It’s not a bright spot, of course you’ll see now that someone can say the two wins at Monza are good. No, that’s usually everything. And then also to see the team work successfully.

Franz Tost, team principal, Toro Rosso, and Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso

Franz Tost, team principal, Toro Rosso, and Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso

Photography: Steven Tee / motorsport pictures

“Mateschitz says you have to educate young drivers. Then if you see Vettel winning races and titles, the same with Verstappen or Daniel Ricciardo winning races and (Carlos) Sainz and (Pierre) Gasly.

“That’s good. Now see how Yuki (Tsunoda) develops and then (Nyck) de Vries will get there too. So, it’s a good feeling for the team.”

Is he proud to be so closely involved in the careers of all of them?

“I don’t like the word ‘pride,'” he said. “I have no reason to be proud of anything. It’s the team. And the team has done a really good job, I must say, and the education of the young drivers, because it’s a lot more complex and a lot more work than people think. .

“Our engineers, especially the data engineers and the race engineers, spend a lot of time sitting with the young drivers, analyzing the race and analyzing qualifying, free practice.

“It took a lot of hard work, so I have to thank the team and the engineers for a great job.”

Just before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, rumors started swirling about AlphaTauri. It has been suggested that Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies will return to Faenza, but the identity is unclear.

But logically speaking, he can only serve as the captain, which means that Tost is out.

The truth emerged in a press release hastily issued before Baku at the specific request of Tost to put a stop to the rumours. Yes, he’s leaving, but in a controlled way and at the end of the 2023 season. He decided to retire at the age of 67 and move on.

Mekis will indeed join, but at a time agreed by Ferrari, working alongside new chief executive Peter Beyer, a former FIA member.

Tost’s assertion that it was his decision is undoubtedly true and was discussed with Matt Schitz even before the Red Bull boss died.

However, with major companies reorganizing in the post-Mateschitz era, it was time for a change for AlphaTauri and its second F1 team had to justify its existence. Horner certainly supports the new two-pronged leadership arrangement, which he believes has the potential to improve the synergy between the two teams.

“It’s my decision,” Tost said. “It started two years ago, when I also discussed it with Dietrich Mateschitz. Because I’m 67 now.

2008 Italian Grand Prix - Sunday Race

2008 Italian Grand Prix – Sunday Race

“When I was younger, I always said to myself, if you’re in the lead, then you shouldn’t be in the seat, you should give that up to someone younger, wiser, with Creative people, driven people.

“Now that I’m going into the 70s, it’s time to say goodbye. I love F1. But it’s a story that had to end. Especially now with Peter Bayer as CEO and Laurent Mekies’ solution, we have two very Great people will succeed me. I think now is the perfect time to leave F1.”

Tost will retain an advisory role as part of the departure arrangements but insists he will not interfere with the new boss.

“I can tell you now that I’m not the type to look behind my back at what Peter and Laurent are going to do,” he said.

“They’re really, really good. They know what to do. I’ll be there at first, when they come, for a month or so. But then 100%, I’ll take a step back. I’m not a guy who advises someone and Tell someone what to do. They know it.

“It’s also important, it’s also a personal wish, a wish from my side, that the team has to step up and go to another level. I’ve been there for 18 years now. That’s always been my intention. New guys, new ideas.

“F1 evolves very fast and they may have a different point of view and they should. And I’m sure they can do a lot better than me. So it’s better for me to keep my mouth shut.”

AlphaTauri is following a recent trend where the team lead role is filled by highly qualified engineers, often in partnership with a CEO who has a more business and political overview of the organization. In other words, it is no longer the job of a clear leader.

“I think it’s a good constellation,” Tost said. “Because then you have one person who is focused on the technical side, and you have a second person who is more in charge of organization, marketing and future strategy. All that stuff.

“Because if you put everything together, it’s really a lot of work for a team leader, so I think this constellation is a good possibility for the future.

“F1, now with 24 races, it’s a lot of work. And they’re a lot smarter than me because I work 24 hours and they give 12 hours each!

AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost and Ferrari sports director Laurent Mekies

AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost and Ferrari sports director Laurent Mekies

Photograph: Sam Bloxham / motorsport pictures

“Seriously, it would be better to have a chief executive and a team principal because you have to structure that for the future. Racing itself is an intensive job and it’s best split between two people.”

Riders who work with Tost don’t always have an easy time because, like Helmut Marko, he always speaks his mind. However, their perception of him as boss is positive.

“I spent over a year with Franz,” Verstappen said. “Especially when you’re just starting your career, I think it’s good to have someone like Franz by your side, I think he helped me a lot in the beginning too, giving me advice and sharing experiences.

“I think everyone wants to achieve a lot in a short period of time when they come in, but sometimes it’s important to calm things down. Yeah, having these chats with him, I think it helps a lot.

“Of course, he’s managed Toro Rosso and Taurus Mavericks for such a long time. He’s seen a lot of talent come into the main team as well. It’s been an amazing career. And, of course, I think the most important It’s sad to see him go, but at a certain point, when you’ve worked in F1 for so many years, it’s time to enjoy some more family time.”

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“As a person, I really like Franz,” Alex Albon said. “He’s a real racer. I think his approach is very technical, and I think he definitely understands what it takes because he’s got so many new guys on the team.

“I was with the team more or less six months. He really made me understand what it takes to be an F1 driver and almost prepared me for it, because I don’t think people from F2 will ever really understand. His own goals. But he obviously has experience with a lot of people, a lot of drivers.”

“I have a lot of respect for Franz,” Carlos Sainz said. “He’s been part of this team for a long time, with a lot of young drivers involved, then Toro Rosso, now AlphaTauri, and he’s helped us all become better drivers, better professionals. people, better people.”

Tost insists that when he finally stops, he will turn his attention back to skiing, an early hobby he had before motorsport took full hold of his life.

Scuderia AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost at the team principal press conference

Scuderia AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost at the team principal press conference

Photography: FIA Pool

“When I was younger, I was always racing skis,” he said. “But for the past 20 to 30 years, I haven’t had time to ski at all, not even a day in the past three years. Why? Look at our calendar.

“We come back at the end of November, beginning of December. Usually there is no snow in December. Then the best time to ski is February, March – that’s where we test.

“Then we’ll go to Bahrain, then Saudi Arabia this year, then Melbourne, and then the ski season is over, so there’s no time…”

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Vandoorne to drive Aston Martin F1 car in Pirelli tyre test at Spa

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Aston reserve driver Vandoorne will share driving duties with team principal Lance Stroll, while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will each drive a day for McLaren.

It will be the Belgian’s first time driving an active F1 car on track since December 2020 when he represented Mercedes in Abu Dhabi testing.

While the Spa test will focus on Pirelli’s no-carpet tyres, it will give Vandoorne a valuable opportunity to sample the 2023 car, helping him correlate with Aston Martin’s simulator work.

If either Stroll or Fernando Alonso were unwell at any point for the rest of the season, his life would also be made easier.

The 31-year-old shared the Aston substitute with defending Formula Two champion Felipe Drugovich, and the two took turns on call.

Dubovic drove the AMR23 for two days during the Bahrain test in February, when Stroll was not present, and he had the opportunity to test drive the AMR23. Since then, the Brazilian has continued to rack up more miles in private testing of the 2021 car.

Stoffel Vandoorne, Reserve Driver, Aston Martin F1 Team

Stoffel Vandoorne, Reserve Driver, Aston Martin F1 Team

Photography: Mark Sutton/ motorsport pictures

As well as his role at Aston, Vandoorne is one of McLaren’s backup drivers and his performance at Spa will also make it easier for him to step into the MCL60 should the need arise.

As well as giving him a general feel for downforce levels for 2023, the two cars share the Mercedes powerplant and thus have similar settings on their respective steering wheels.

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Vandoorne made his F1 debut for McLaren in Bahrain in 2016, replacing current Aston team-mate Alonso.

He then completed two full seasons in 2017 and 2018, the first with Honda power and the second with Renault. He finished 16th at the World Championships in both seasons, with a best finish of seventh.

He was dropped by McLaren at the end of 2018, but has since rebuilt his career in Formula E, winning the 2021-22 championship for Mercedes and serving as an F1 substitute.

He currently drives for the DS Penske Formula E team and is also a substitute for the Peugeot WEC team.

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McLaren “true contenders” for F1 best of the rest tag

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McLaren has only scored one point after three rounds in 2023 as it struggles to find the car competitive.

But both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have seen plenty of upgrades in recent races, allowing the former to finish second in a row, while Piastri has finished in the top five in each of his past two races.

Despite being 136 points behind second-placed Mercedes in the constructors’ championship, Russell believes McLaren is a real threat for the remainder of the race behind leaders Red Bull.

“Obviously they’re a real contender for second fastest team,” Russell said of Woking.

“Oddly enough, Aston Martin was clearly second at the start of the year.

“And they don’t seem to be that competitive now. Ferrari haven’t made much progress. McLaren has made huge progress.

“So without McLaren we’d be very, very happy with the progress we’ve made. Leading the midfield, widening the gap and closing in on Red Bull.

“McLaren has just fully embraced it. But that makes you optimistic that bigger strides are possible.

“I believe in my team. I think it gives us the confidence and optimism to take this step towards Red Bull.

“We’re not too focused on McLaren, Aston or Ferrari. We’re focused on Red Bull. We’re trying to make that big step.”

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W14

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W14

Photography: Steve Etherington/ motorsport pictures

Russell fought his way back from 18th on the grid at last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, jumping to sixth at the checkered flag after Mercedes strategists told him 11th was his favorite.

Russell was pleased with the final result, but felt it was “proof” of a “missed opportunity” for Hungary.

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“The strategy tells me that if we maximize everything, the P11 is the most realistic, the P7 is the most realistic,” Russell told Autosport.

“Sixth place without a safety car, without a VSC, it’s a really great result.

“But it also proved that this weekend could be a missed opportunity. I believe I could have gone there with Lewis yesterday, it’s one of my favorite circuits and the car always does well here.

“When you have two cars out there, fighting for second gives you more options, and Lewis is also very strong. If things turned out a little differently, he would also be P2.

“So as a missed opportunity we will learn from it. But the positive side is we are leading Aston and Ferrari.”

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Top speed, car sizes, race weekends and more compared

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Formula 1 has relied on junior classes to develop the next generation of drivers, and its teams are eager to snag their brightest talent.

The ‘old’ Formula 2 car was a ruleset rather than its own separate entity, sometimes sharing the grid with F1, and later rule changes made the two cars separate championships.

The second class was renamed the F3000 in 1985 as the series switched to a naturally aspirated engine formula and extended the life of the earlier Cosworth DFV lineage. Throughout the life of the F3000, different engine and chassis suppliers came and went, with companies including Reynard, Lola, Ralt and March among them, all producing cars before the championship became a single specification.

When the F3000 championship began to fade due to declining team interest and declining track quality, the second level of racing was reborn in 2005. Bernie Ecclestone tried to bring the junior championship to F1’s bottom line and, along with Flavio Briatore and Bruno Michel, helped build the GP2 series.

GP2 became the FIA ​​Formula Two Championship in 2017, but many key hallmarks of GP2’s early series have stood the test of time. The GP3 series, a third-tier category designed to compete with the myriad Formula 3 championships around it, was added to the F1 Act in 2010 and became FIA ​​Formula 3 in 2019.

There are major differences in the way F2 is run compared to F1, there are subtle changes in form and there are big differences in the overall performance of the cars. The following are the key areas of comparison between F1 and F2.

F1 vs. F2 – key differences

car

Formula 1

Formula Two

top speed

220+ mph

208 mph

Minimum weight including driver

798 kg

788 kg

DRS?

Yes

Yes

engine size

1.6 liter V6

3.4 liter V6

Approximate Power

1,000 horsepower

620 hp

car size

5.63m x 2m x 0.95m

5.22m x 1.9m x 1.09m

tire size

18 inches

18 inches

game every weekend

One (two for sprint weekends)

Two (one sprint, one feature)

game length

305 km/190 miles

Sprint – 120 km/74.5 miles

Features – 170 km/105.6 miles

team

10

11

driver

20

twenty two

2023 Pole Times – Red Bull Ring

1 point 04.391

1 meter 14,643

2023 Pole Times – Monaco

1 meter 11.365

1 meter 21.053

2023 Pole Times – Silverstone

1 meter 26.720

1 meter 39,832

Current single-spec F2 cars can be seen as simpler, smaller versions of F1 cars

Current single-spec F2 cars can be seen as simpler, smaller versions of F1 cars

Photography: Simon Galloway/ motorsport pictures

What is the difference between F1 and F2 racing?

In F1, each team designs its own chassis according to a set of well-defined technical regulations laid down by the FIA. For the 2022 ruleset, the FIA ​​has updated the wording of the rules to better define the bounding box within which bodies can be developed and build a system more in line with the proliferation of available CAD products.

It features a range of safety systems such as a roll cage, halo and anti-intrusion panels mounted around the monocoque. There are also anti-collision structures on the side, front and rear of the car to minimize the impact on the driver in the car.

F2 is a single-spec series with all teams using the Dallara F2 2018 model. The car and driver must weigh a minimum of 788kg and feature F1 standard safety features such as the aforementioned crash structures and halos. Use only parts supplied by Dallara, Hewland or sold by F2 promoters.

F2 cars use floor venturi tunnels, which F1 adopts in 2022, 40 years after banning ground-effect aerodynamics. These designs aren’t as extreme as those in F1, but they work on the same principle, and the car is also enhanced with front and rear wings to create downforce. Like F1, F2 cars are fitted with a Drag Reduction System (DRS), which operates on the same parameters as its parent series.

While F1 cars typically reach speeds in excess of 220 mph during a race, with DRS switched on, an F2 car could theoretically hit 208 mph at full low downforce.

What is the difference between F1 and F2 tires?

Pirelli supplies all championships on the official F1 ladder, and F2 and F3 also use the Italian company’s rubber.

F2 started using 18-inch tires in 2020, two years before entering F1. F2 tires are slightly narrower than F1 tires and generally have less grip because of the naturally lower speeds of the junior series cars.

There are four dry-weather tire compounds for the F2: hard, medium, soft and supersoft – with the first three using the same white, yellow and red color coding as the F1. Extra soft textures are indicated by purple text on the side walls. Each car is supplied with five sets of dry weather tires per wheel, consisting of two of the prescribed compounds, with a set of “premium” tires to be returned after practice. Three sets of wet tires are also available – the F2 has no intermediate compound.

Tire blankets are banned in F2, meaning drivers must warm up their tires naturally. This often creates a larger offset during the pit stops, with drivers leaving the pits vulnerable to those who have already completed laps in the new group.

The “primary” and “option” compounds (harder tires are the main tires and softer tires are the options) must be used during featured races, and pit stops are required to replace them. Tire parking is allowed during a sprint, but not mandatory. Since only two dry compounds are used each weekend, Pirelli and F2 decide which tire to use before the weekend. There may be a single step in the compound (for example, medium and soft), or there may be a larger step for greater excursions (for example, medium and extra soft).

620bhp Mecachrome F2 engine

620bhp Mecachrome F2 engine

Photography: Sutton Images

What is the difference between F1 and F2 powertrains?

F1 has used a turbo-hybrid system since 2014, with a turbocharger and a motor-generator set on the rear axle to form a hybrid package. The internal combustion engine is a 1.6-liter V6. By 2022, F1 engines run on E10 fuel, where 10% of the fuel composition consists of combustibles of biosourced origin.

The MGU-K in an F1 car can produce up to 160bhp for a total power output of around 1000bhp. Figures for F1’s current four powertrain manufacturers (Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault and Red Bull Powertrain) vary but are all believed to have efficiencies in excess of 50%.

F2’s single-spec powertrain is produced by French manufacturer Mecachrome, which briefly participated in F1 in 1998 and 1999, and took over Renault’s engine program. The Mecachrome unit was a 3.4-litre V6 engine, virtually the same one used in the F3, but with a modified turbocharger from Van der Lee. It produces around 620bhp and is driven by a six-speed Hewland gearbox.

To ensure fairness in powertrain supply, Mecachrome units are randomly assigned to teams, as there may be minor differences in overall power output.

F2 is currently being used as a test bed to assist F1 in developing more sustainable fuel, using Aramco-produced fuel with 55% of its content from sustainable bio-sources, with the aim of increasing this figure to 100% by 2026/27. The Saudi oil brand replaced longtime supplier Elf as the sole producer of the F2 fuel.

How much does F1 cost compared to F2?

In recent years, Formula 1 has been constrained by a cost cap of about $135 million through 2023, with some minor adjustments for inflation and other ancillary costs. The cost cap covers most development and operating costs, but excludes driver salaries, salaries of the team’s three highest-paid employees, travel costs and marketing expenses. As Red Bull found out in 2022, violating this cap carries a range of penalties depending on the extent of the overrun.

The bulk of this budget comes from the FIA’s prize money, investment and sponsorship mix. Some teams, such as Red Bull and Mercedes, are self-sufficient in terms of bonuses and sponsors and do not require direct input from their ownership structures.

F2 teams have much smaller budgets, and with the series’ fairly limited reach, teams will rarely start the season with a full sponsor portfolio ready to fund every race. As such, drivers should pay for their rides through their own sponsors or a driver academy.

Depending on the team, the budget of an F2 driver can vary from 2 million to 3 million euros, and can even exceed this budget to get a seat in a better team. To keep costs down, F2 limited the number of employees working on each car on race weekends and designed the cars to be relatively cheap. A team can buy a complete F2 car, without the engine, for around 500,000 euros.

George Russell, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc are recent notable F2 graduates entering F1

George Russell, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc are recent notable F2 graduates entering F1

Photography: Glenn Dunbar/ motorsport pictures

How do drivers get from F2 to F1?

To compete in F2, drivers must hold an A or B international FIA license. They cannot conduct private tests on F2 machines, only the group tests offered by the series. There are also restrictions on the single-seater cars that drivers can test in private, and if a driver is double-duty in another category, they must commit to racing in F2 in the event of any conflict.

Depending on a driver’s final standing at the end of the F2 season, they may receive Superlicense points to help qualify for F1. To obtain a super license to compete in F1, a driver needs to earn 40 points.

The distribution of Super License points is:

end of season position

SL points

first place

40

second place

40

third place

40

fourth place

30

the fifth place

20

sixth place

10

Number 7

8

number 8

6

No.9

4

No. 10

3

These can be applied cumulatively over the course of three seasons.

F1 VS F2 weekend format

F1 has been running in the same basic format for years, with FP1 and FP2 taking place on Fridays, each one hour long. FP3 races are also one hour long and take place on the Saturday before the three-stage qualifying format in place since 2006. F1 races must be at least 305 kilometers in length (excluding Monaco) and must not exceed two hours in duration, with a three-hour window if any red flags are raised.

However, sprint weekends are different and that changes for 2023. The only practice session kicked off with Friday’s race, followed by qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Sprint qualifying and the race are both held on Saturdays, with 2023 seeing six sprint weekends for added variety.

F2 has a practice session lasting 45 minutes on Friday, with a half-hour qualifying session later in the day. It’s effectively a time trial and drivers just need to maintain the fastest lap at the end of the race to secure pole for Sunday’s race.

Many F1 teams have junior drivers in F2 teams

Many F1 teams have junior drivers in F2 teams

Photography: Red Bull Content Pool

The sprint race takes place on Saturday, using the same grid as qualifying, but with the top ten swapped. The number of laps “equal to the minimum number of complete laps over a distance of 120 km (100 km in Monaco)”, according to the 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring system, the score is finally dropped to eighth place, and the fastest lap points are awarded to the top 10 competitors.

The F2 weekend’s featured race “should be equal to the minimum number of complete laps over a distance of 170km (140km in Monaco, 160km in Budapest)”. It features mandatory pit stops where drivers must use both primary and optional compounds during the race. If a driver pits before completing the sixth lap, the mandatory stop does not count. This information is also not recorded if a driver stops under the Virtual Safety Car unless they are already in the pits when the VSC is triggered.

F2 attempted three weekend races in 2021, but the practice was generally unpopular and canceled for 2022 due to gaps left on the calendar. Prior to this, the main race was held on Saturday, and the starting position of the sprint race was determined by the results and the reversal of the top eight.

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