Ricciardo Remembers His First Meeting With Tost: 'Made Me Mature'

Tuesday, 26 December 2023 at 20:00

Daniel Ricciardo recalled his first-ever meeting with the currently retiring AlphaTauri team principal, Franz Tost.

Franz Tost has been the team principal of Scuderia Toro Rosso ever since its inception in 2005, when the team was bought and rebranded by Red Bull from Minardi.

The team's purpose was to serve as the junior team for Red Bull. In Toro Rosso, young drivers would get a chance for a season or two to show their talent and improve their skills before progressing to other teams.

Toro Rosso was the team where Daniel Ricciardo got his first chance to shine. Here, he met Franz Tost for the first time in his career and would work with the team principal for two seasons before progressing to Red Bull. He told the media about Tost:

“"I think for the team, he's been everything, obviously starting off in the Toro Rosso days, that's where I started my first full season in F1."”

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Toro Rosso was rebranded to AlphaTauri in order to promote Red BUll's fashion brand in 2020, but the team stayed essentially the same, only under a different name.

Ricciardo returned to his old team during the 2023 season after he departed from McLaren following two unsuccessful seasons, so he was there to say bye to one of his first team principal. He remembered their first meeting:

“"I remember quite vividly the first meeting I had in his office and, you know, I kind of bounced in with a smile. I think he looked at me like [he] tried to prepare me for what's ahead. It's a serious sport and it's a tough old world."”

By the point Tost met with Ricciardo, he already had worked with quite a few rookies and knew what was ahead of the Honey Badger so he tried to brace him for it. The Australian driver added:

“"So I think he was very honest with me as well, a little bit the same as with Helmut, it kind of made me mature a little quicker and ultimately grow up."”