Ricciardo and Gasly pay tribute to departing Franz Tost

Daniel Ricciardo and Pierre Gasly have been paying tribute to a man who played a big part in their early Formula 1 careers, former AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost who has stepped down after 18 years in charge at Faenza.

The 67-year-old is expected to retire from motorsport after stepping down. His role as team principal will be taken by former Ferrari Racing Director Laurent Mekies, with former FIA F1 Executive Director Peter Bayer taking over as CEO.

Throughout Tost's time as boss of the team, previously known as Toro Rosso, Red Bull's sister squad has established itself as a place for your talent to make it into F1 and prove itself.

Future world champions Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen both had key spells with Toro Rosso.

Ricciardo drove for the team from 2012 until his promotion to Red Bull in 2014 and returned to the line-up midway through 2023. Gasly's F1 debut was with the team in 2017, and he left at the end of 2022 to join Alpine.

• Read also: AlphaTauri UK expansion signals team’s future ambitions

Ricciardo said that Tost would be a "tremendous" loss to Toro Rosso and to Formula 1 as a whole.

"For the team he’s been everything, obviously starting off in the Toro Rosso days or my first full season in F1," said the Australian.

“I remember quite vividly the first meeting I had in his office," he continued. "I kind of bounced in with a smile and he looked at me like ... He tried to prepare me for what’s ahead. It’s a serious sport and it’s a tough old world.

"He was very honest with me as well, but it made me ... a little bit the same as with Helmut, it kind of made me mature a little quicker and ultimately grow up," Ricciardo said, comparing Tost to Red Bull consultant Dr Helmut Marko.

"Franz has always been really involved. He’s in every debrief, he’ll normally speak as well in debriefs and give some analysis or advice or anything he’s seen. He’s fully involved in it and it's his passion.

“It’s been everything that’s kind of given him drive for so many years. I hope he can enjoy putting his feet up a little bit next year," he added.

"I’m not sure fully what that’s going to entail for him, but I really hope he’s able to enjoy some[rest and recreation]."

Gasly was equally fulsome in his praise for his former boss, with whom he clinched his sole F1 race win to date in Monza in 2020.

“He’s played a huge part in my career,” Gasly acknowledged in quotes reported by the official Formula1.com website. “I ended up spending five years being his driver so we built a very strong bond.

"He’s quite a unique character. He’s got his own personality, but his love and passion for F1 and motorsport is pretty much unmatched.

“He’s been definitely very valuable in my career just in the support that he brought. He brought me the self-reflection in being quite objective and always trying to dig inside his driver and try and get more out of them.

"I’ve always had a very good personal connection," Gasly added. “I already wished him all the best for his future.

"He’s always been talking about skiing and going in the mountains. He’s seen enough race tracks for his entire career, and I think it’s a great opportunity for him to enjoy his off-track life.”

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