Franz Tost shares insights into the mental hurdles Andrea Kimi Antonelli may face in F1, highlighting how the greatest challenges for rookies often occur outside the car, not behind the wheel.
Franz Tost, former team principal of Toro Rosso / AlphaTauri, who has mentored numerous young drivers, has offered words of encouragement for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, future Mercedes F1 driver. The Austrian places his trust in Toto Wolff to ensure the young Italian has a smoother start.
“The speed is there – you can see it,” Tost told F1.com. “It’s always a bit tricky for a young driver to enter a works team, especially one like Mercedes, because they are highly focused.”
“But I’m sure Toto and his team will prepare him in the best possible way for next season. From a driving perspective, I think there’s absolutely no issue with him. He’s fast, he’s very skilled, and he’ll perform well.”
According to Tost, the biggest challenge for a rookie in the top category doesn’t lie behind the wheel. He elaborates on the areas that are often tough for a young talent to manage and could potentially weigh on their development.
“The challenge is mental, because as a young F1 driver, you need to collaborate with a wide range of people. The technical side, the chassis engineer, the engine engineer, the aerodynamics engineer, all the data engineers – this means there are a lot of questions that arise.”
“You also have to deal with marketing and the media, which is a lot for a young driver. Teams must always be careful not to overload young drivers so that, come Sunday, when the lights go out, they’re not exhausted.”
When asked what advice he would give Andrea Kimi Antonelli ahead of his debut, Tost didn’t hesitate: “Be eager to become an F1 driver, stay focused, and get the job done!”
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Antonelli’s Toughest Test in F1 Lies Beyond the Cockpit Antonelli’s Toughest Test in F1 Lies Beyond the Cockpit
