Toro Rosso not worried about Honda switch
Nov.7 - Franz Tost says he is looking forward to Toro Rosso's switch to works Honda power for 2018.
McLaren has dumped the Japanese engine manufacturer after a failed three-year collaboration, switching instead to the customer Renault deal enjoyed currently by Toro Rosso.
But Tost, the Toro Rosso team boss, says the Faenza based team is actually not enjoying its current situation with Renault.
"We can't have more problems anyway, because we are changing the power unit every weekend," said the Austrian.
Indeed, Tost claims Toro Rosso even went to great lengths to end the Renault contract, offering Carlos Sainz to the French carmaker as compensation.
"To terminate the contract we had to give something to Renault," he said.
"The compensation was Carlos and because of his speed, we are well aware that he is a big threat for us because he scored most of our points and on the other side, he is now with Renault."
But Toro Rosso is happy with its all-new and motivated driver lineup of sportscar champion Brendon Hartley and GP2 champion Pierre Gasly.
And Tost said he is not even worried about being stuck in neutral with McLaren's rejected engine partner Honda next year.
"They have another winter time where they will have the possibility to sort out the problems that they have currently," he said.
"As Toro Rosso, we are the only team that will be working together with them which I think will become a big advantage.
"All the meetings we have had so far are quite promising," Tost added.
"I'm more than convinced that this power unit will help Toro Rosso next year to become a very strong and competitive team."
2 F1 Fan comments on “Toro Rosso not worried about Honda switch”
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I hope honda are paying them alot. A team like McLaren couldn't win with them. What are red bull jnr gonna do.
Very interesting F1 times ! Wait till next year perhaps ?
Toro Rosso will be a humble and willing 1st time 'works team,' and that can only bode well for this junior Red Bull team.
As I understand it, Tost spent time in Japan, and that will help.
McLaren is and was a "DIVA" team and perhaps rightly so, but they rubbed the Asian Japanese the (totally) wrong way.
Let us hope that Japanese Honda improve as they ought/have to and thrive in Formula 1.
:)