Albon “can create a surprise”, according to Tost

With George Russell at Williams et Lando Norris on the side of McLaren, Alexander albon is the third debutant on the 2019 grid of Formula 1. But unlike its former rivals Formula 2, the 22-year-old had never had the opportunity to drive in an F1 before launching the Toro Rosso STR14 during a promotional shoot in Misano a few days ago.

Despite the relative inexperience of its new driver, who returns to the fold Red Bull after a first painful experience in 2012, Franz Tost is convinced that he will quickly be on the pace of the premier category. 

« It's the kind of challenge we all love to take on at Toro Rosso, he declared since Barcelona where the traditional Formula 1 winter tests opened. All the meetings that I have had the opportunity to have with Alex so far leave me optimistic for the future. 

I think he can create a surprise because people don't really know him. We have been following him for years. He shone in Formula 3 Europe, in GP3 where he gave a hard time to Charles Leclerc, and in Formula 2 also last year where he won four races. I am convinced that he will do a good job ». 

Albon will team up this season with a returning Russian Daniil Kvyat, who is starting his third stay at Faenza after making his F1 debut there in 2014 and returning following his demotion from Red Bull after four races in 2016 Tost wants to believe that the former outcast is a new man. 

« We all know that Daniil is a very talented driver, commented the Austrian manager. I think things went very quickly for him with a direct move from GP3 to F1 at Toro Rosso, then a promotion to Red Bull after only one season because Sebastian Vettel had left for Ferrari.

When Daniil returned to the team for the tire tests in Abu Dhabi last year, it was as if he had never left. He already knew all the mechanics. His year at Ferrari as a development driver did him good. He is more mature, more relaxed. If the car behaves as he wants it to, which was not always the case during his last visit, he will be there. ».