As team principal of Toro Rosso, Franz Tost has made the best use of his knowledge as a racing driver to help guide the team through the day to day challenges. He joined the team at their inception in 2006 and has been head of the outfit ever since – despite some rocky relationships with drivers and team members alike.

Biography

Franz Tost started his motorsport career as a racer, participating in the Formula Three and Formula Ford championships. He turned his attention to management, studying the subject along with sports science in Germany. Joining Willi Weber’s company in 1993, Tost was put in charge of the career of Ralf Schumacher.

Initially based in Japan, Schumacher’s move to Formula One brought Tost into the sport as well, as Franz took up a position with the BMW Motorsport team – engine suppliers to Schumacher’s team, Williams. His role as Track Operations Manager involved supporting the engine customers as they went through each race, and his experience and connections gave him the opportunity to move to Toro Rosso in 2006.

Joining the newly formed Scuderia as Team Principal, Tost was in charge of the day to day running of the team, including the hiring and firing. Midway through the 2007 season, former F1 driver Scott Speed alleged that he had been assaulted by his team boss, but Tost later denied the claims. Since then, there have been no complaints from drivers about their employer, and Tost even helped nurture the young Sebastian Vettel as he honed his talents ready for a step up to the big team. With sister squad Red Bull using Toro Rosso as a training base, Tost is always limited in how much he can achieve at the team, but so far, with race winners and drivers fit for the main seats, he’s done the best he possibly can.