Tost wants Mercedes engine freeze, for the sake of fairness!

Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost apparently believes that fairness in Formula 1 can be achieved by thwarting a dominating team's efforts.

So the Austrian team manager's recommendation to the governing body to level the playing field is to simply freeze Mercedes' power unit development so its competitors can catch up.

"I hope that sooner or later there will be power unit parity because this is not the case currently," Tost told Autosport.

"I hope Renault will catch up, especially because I don't know what's going on with Ferrari. We need Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari fighting for the championship at least.

"If the power unit parity is not coming normally the FIA should come up with a regulation to freeze it," he insisted.

"I would freeze the power unit from Mercedes, the others should catch up and then they freeze all of them.

"I would leave the development of the battery free because the battery is something for the future and it is also something important for the manufacturers."

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Lost on the Toro Rosso manager is perhaps the fact that, as a result of Mercedes domination, several power unit components, such as the MGU-H and MGU-K, have already had their specifications locked in terms, for instance, of minimum weight, with further restrictions in the works.

One wonders if Franz Tost would be calling for a freeze if Toro Rosso was currently powered by Mercedes ?

Or if senior outfit Red Bull had been supplied with German engines for 2016, a deal Bernie Ecclestone desperately tried to broker!

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.