Toro Rosso can only improve…

The boss of Scuderia Toro Rosso, Franz Tost, believes that one of the greatest advancements his team has made is getting the staff to believe in him.

With a clear improvement in performances at the end of the season, Tost believes that one of the main reasons for such significant progress is the relationship between people.

« The restructuring of an F1 is impossible to do in a single day. You need to find the right people who know how to work together, » Tost said to Autosport magazine.

« As you know in F1, every technical problem finds a solution; you are only left with certain interpersonal issues. Sometimes, it is much more difficult to solve than some technical problems. »

« But I am very optimistic for the future because the team is coming together more and more. The technicians increasingly understand how important it is to be very disciplined in their work. To listen to each other and support each other, not to work against one another. Therefore, we look forward to the next season. »

In addition to being satisfied with how the staff has developed a team spirit, Tost also thinks that the arrival of the new technical director Giorgio Ascanelli, as well as the driver Sebastian Vettel, were essential to finish 2007 on a high note.

« There are several reasons that explain our improved performance,” he stated. Indeed, for the first time, a Toro Rosso led a race. This happened during the Japanese Grand Prix.

« First of all, I would say reliability. After the arrival of Giorgio Ascanelli at the Scuderia, reliability was improved. For me, that was, I think, the first step in the pursuit of performance. As long as you don’t see a checkered flag, you cannot be crowned with success. »

« Next, I must acknowledge that the second most important point is at the level of the drivers. When Sebastian Vettel joined the team, we clearly felt an improvement within the team. »

« Vettel is a highly skilled driver, his technique and commentary on what happens in a race car are important for our engineers to analyze what happens during a race or after an event, » Tost continued.

Finally, he believes that spirits will be calm and confident due to their performances at the end of the 2007 season.

« It is very important for this young team to see that they can claim victory in the race and compete with other teams. Confidence is gained through motivation, and more motivation is gained through harder work. It’s a virtuous circle. »

« I am happy that we achieved this success at the end of 2007, so that it will prove to be productive during the winter in terms of everyone’s motivation. With the aim, hopefully, to start a year 2008 based on success, » he concluded.