Franz Tost gives surprising update, fires ‘untrustworthy engineer’ to regain faith in his employees

After publicly startling everyone by declaring that he no longer trusts his team, Franz Tost proclaims that he now trusts the team following the departure of an 'untrustworthy' employee.

Franz Tost gives surprising update, fires ‘untrustworthy engineer’ to regain faith in his employees

AlphaTauri team chief, Franz Tost (Credits: Formulapedia)

AlphaTauri Formula 1 boss Franz Tost has given a surprising update regarding his trust in his engineering team. In a recent interview in Miami, Tost revealed that he had fired an engineer whom he considered “untrustworthy,” leading him to regain faith in his employees.

Tost’s remarks come after a public criticism of his engineers during an FIA press conference at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. At the time, he expressed frustration with the team’s early-season form and suggested that he did not trust his engineers’ predictions for improvement. “The engineers are telling me that we will make some good progress, but I don’t trust them anymore,” Franz Tost said. “I just want to see the lap time, because this is the only thing which counts.”

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However, the team principal has now regained his lost faith in his engineers following the departure of an untrustworthy employee. In a recent interview ahead of the Miami Gand Prix Tost revealed, “The person I didn’t trust anymore is out, as you can imagine. And the others I trust, totally easy. And they do a good job.”

Discover: “There were also other drivers,” Franz Tost refutes claims that Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel are ‘the fastest’ Toro Rosso graduates

Alpha Tauri is currently undergoing major reshuffling to help them find the lost ground

AlphaTauri team getting ready to service Yuki Tsunoda's car
AlphaTauri team getting ready to service Yuki Tsunoda’s car (Credits: FormulaRapida.net)

Although the team chose to remain mum about who the untrustworthy employee was, it is speculated that it might be their chief Aerodynamicist, Dickon Balmforth. He departed from the team shortly after the season began. Balmforth has been with the team since 2018 and had previously worked on Adrian Newey’s aerodynamic unit at Red Bull Racing.

These speculations can be based on when Tost revealed that the team had revamped its technical structure back in April, including the reorganisation of the aero department. “The aero department was reorganised. We have separated from some employees, and I am now expecting an increase in performance from the new people,” said Tost. The responsibility is now divided between three people, and the team cannot just poach capable people from Red Bull Racing like Aston Martin did.

Tost has announced that he would stand down as team principal at the conclusion of this year, and Ferrari’s Laurent Mekies has been appointed as his replacement. In 2023, the squad did not have a major peak like the other midfield teams. Yuki Tsunoda is in great form, but DeVries is still finding his stride. Thanks to the Japanese driver, the team is presently ninth on the grid with two points. It remains to be seen whether the dismissal of the aforementioned untrustworthy staff will assist the Italian team in gaining points in the next Miami Grand Prix.

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