The end of 2023 marked the turning point for Franz Tost to formally say goodbye to his role as Team Principal at AlphaTauri, which began in 2006, after 17 years.
In an interview with F1-insider, Tost spoke about his career in F1 and the chance to not officially say goodbye to the paddock life.
“It didn’t come as a surprise. Two years ago, I told Dietrich Mateschitz that I no longer wanted to be standing on the pit wall at the age of 70.”
The possibility, announced by Helmut Marko, is to see the former Team Principal as a consultant for Red Bull. A possibility that does not seem to displease Tost who, although has no intention of resuming a central role within a team, is not yet ready to leave motorsport altogether.
“Talks will take place on 15 January. After that, we will see how I will continue to work for Red Bull. Basically, I will always remain connected to motorsport, so I can definitely imagine a consultancy role.”
While he is attracted by the possibility of offering his advice to the winning team, the idea of entering the television business strikes him as the exact opposite. Asked by F1insider, he replied:
“That’s certainly not my thing. I would have to give too many political answers. That doesn’t suit me. And many people wouldn’t be able to live with the truth. Ralf Schumacher, who does that very well, speaks too clearly for most people. I would be even more extreme”
Looking back on his career, Tost described it as “positive“, mentioning highlights such as his time at Walter Lechner’s racing driver school and at BMW, working with Michael Schumacher and later with Ralf Schumacher.
“I was full from the very beginning. My time at Walter Lechner’s racing driver school, then working with Michael Schumacher in Willi Weber’s Formula 3 team and later with Ralf Schumacher were highlights. Also my time with BMW. The biggest challenge was certainly setting up the junior team for Didi Mateschitz. After the purchase of Minardi, we had to start from scratch. That was an enormous task. That made the first victory with Sebastian Vettel in Monza in 2008 all the more special – I will never forget that.”
Photo Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
