F1 boss reveals extraordinary bust-up with engineers: “You need new people…”

Franz Tost has told a new back-story about his infamous clash with his own engineers at the start of this year.
Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) AlphaTauri AT04. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 23, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu
Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) AlphaTauri AT04. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 23, Abu Dhabi Grand…

The AlphaTauri team principal made headlines after the first round of the 2023 F1 season in Bahrain, where his team did not score a point, by exclaiming 🌠“I no trust my engineers”.

AlphaTauri improved in the second year of the half - after Daniel Ricciardo replaced Nyck de Vries, and during Li🐓am Lawson’s impressive run - 🦹but were cost P5 in the constructors’ standings by a slow start.

Tost claims he spotted problems immediate🦹ly and knew it was an issue 🍸with individuals.

“This year’s performance was by far not 🍨wha🍌t we expected,” he told . 

“It started with the regul🍰ation change for 2022. We were really competitive in 2020 and 2021. 

ℱ“Then there was the change and we went in the wrong 𝓰direction from the aero side. Completely wrong.

“I ܫrecognised this in March or April. I went to HR and I said to the HR Director ꧑we need three to five senior aerodynamic engineers. 

“He said to💧 me ‘but the season has just started’. I said ‘forget it, the car does not work. We are so far be꧙hind’. 

“I know F1, you can’t catch up so much.

“This car ﷽was too slow, which means don’t th🀅ink until July or August we will catch up. 

“ꦿYou need new people. I had many talks with people in the aero department, I felt they got lost with the new regulations.

“You have to change the people because engineers will never accept they went in th🔯e wronꦉg direction. 

“They will always have an excuse, and they’ll say the next upgrade will be better, and the up✨date after will be better. 

“Forget this🦋 no꧃nsense, I don’t want to hear it anymore.

“We looked for new people, fortunately we found them bꦗut in F🦩1 these days, they are blocked by one year gardening leave. 

“We got the first in April [this year], the se﷽💫cond in July and the third in September. 

“For me it was important to find out whether these new aero people understand the philosophy – whethe🥀🎉r they go in the right direction or not.

“So, I pushed for a new upgrade at every race just to find out if they do a proper job or not, otherwise next year’s car would not be competit𓂃ive, which is what I wanted to prevent. 

“The last upgrไades worked quite well. Apart from Austin, but this was a t🌌yre problem, we were competitive.”

Tost’s AlphaTauri were force💙d to settle for an un💝derwhelming P6 in the standings.

The 67 year old will leave hꦬis role, after꧃ 18 years, on January 1, 2024 when Laurent Mekies takes over.

Known for his blunt appro༺ach, Tost’s brutal final act might yꦏet help to propel AlphaTauri forwards in 2024.

They will benefit from the experience of Ricciardo, who looked like his old self after taking over f♏rom the underperforming De Vries midway through 2023, then recovering from his own injury absence.

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