Q: Does this blind trust in computers also apply to pilots? Franz Tost: No, it's exactly the opposite. The pilots should study as much data as possible in order to constantly improve. Far too often I found that a driver didn't even know what vehicle setup his teammate was using. You can only continually improve your performance if you analyze your laps and races retrospectively. Q: Michael Schumacher was someone who spent hours on it... Franz Tost: Yes, but Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly are also meticulous workers. Michael and Co. always knew how they could improve and where their teammate's weaknesses were. Right from the start, the champions spent most of their time on the race track with the engineers and data. Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen all have this in common. Q: Can you recognize a champion at an early age? Franz Tost: Not a champion, but a natural talent. It's about a pilot's skills and his relationship to speed. With Michael you never had the feeling that he was overwhelmed, even on his first lap in a Formula 1 car. It was the same with his brother Ralf. And with Max Verstappen. When he drove a Formula 1 car for the first time in Suzuka at the age of 17, he got along straight away, despite the much higher speed. He also had no problems when braking, despite the enormous centrifugal forces of up to 6G. Q: Max Verstappen is the current dominator of Formula 1. Do you see anyone who can hold a candle to him in the future? Franz Tost: No. If Max continues to have a good car, he will win many more races and titles. He's still not at his limit and will get even better. No driver who is or will be his teammate will ever progress beyond the role of number 2 driver.
By Ralf Bach January 5, 2024 F1-insider Archive link | Original link
