Franz Tost has had a long career in Formula 1, working with numerous talents at Red Bull’s satellite team. Now, he addresses the young Antonelli to make him aware of the challenges he will face in F1 compared to F2.
The Austrian first praised Kimi Antonelli, who will replace Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes starting with the next Formula 1 season, as the seven-time F1 world champion will move to Ferrari: “The speed is there, you can see it. From a driving perspective, I don’t think there will be any problems for him. He’s fast, he’s very skilled, and he will perform well.”
Having led an F1 team for 18 years, Franz Tost knows very well the countless aspects beyond just the on-track activity that need attention. According to him, this is the factor that could challenge the young driver from Bologna. “The issue is a mental one, because as a young driver in F1, he will have to work with so many different departments. He will deal with the technical side, working with the chassis engineer, the engine engineer, the aerodynamic engineer, all the data engineers, and this means there will be a lot of questions for him. He’ll also have to handle marketing work and media duties, so it’s a lot for a young driver.” – the 68 year-old continued.
Franz Tost also issued a warning to the team that brought him into F1. He pointed out that care must be taken to ensure that young drivers, especially rookies, aren’t overloaded with activities. “So that on Sunday, when the lights go out, they aren’t exhausted.”
“It’s always a bit difficult for a young driver to join a factory team, especially one like Mercedes,” Franz Tost explained, suggesting that the pressure will undoubtedly be greater at the German team than at a smaller outfit. “I’m sure Toto Wolff and his team will prepare him as best as possible for the next season.”
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