F1 team boss was furious with strategists for messing up 23-year-old’s race in Abu Dhabi

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Former AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost admitted he was furious with his strategists for the calls they made regarding Yuki Tsunoda’s race in Abu Dhabi.

AlphaTauri needed to overturn a seven-point deficit to Williams to finish seventh in the Constructors’ Championship.

Speaking to F1 Insider, the experienced team boss believed that his team trusted computers rather than their instincts too much and that ultimately cost Yuki Tsunoda.

So many drivers that have come through Formula 1 over the years owe part of their careers to Franz Tost.

The 67-year-old Austrian has guided plenty of young drivers through Red Bull academy to AlphaTauri – or Toro Rosso – and beyond.

After joining Williams in 2000, he helped develop Ralf Schumacher before becoming team principal of Toro Rosso five years later.

Tost oversaw the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen and even managed a couple of victories in his time.

It would be fair to say Tost was an old-school team principal and he was not happy with his strategists when they decided to keep Tsunoda out on track during his final race.

The 23-year-old drove spectacularly and even led a few laps before coming into the pits.

However, he fell two positions short of helping AlphaTauri leapfrog Williams but showcased his impressed speed that had been evident in the final few races.

Tost furious with strategist over Tsunoda call

Speaking about his team of strategists, Tost said: “You also have to educate the engineers of the computer generation.

“I was angry because our Yuki Tsunoda was left outside for far too long at the last race in Abu Dhabi.

“A blind man with a cane could have seen that he had to be brought in to change tyres so as not to lose his place against Fernando Alonso.

“But the strategists just stared at their calculation programs and believed the numbers. That was too much for me.

“So, I threatened to throw their laptops on the street next time, but since it was my last race, that won’t happen again.

“You just have to make it clear to computer kids: computers can be an important tool, but nothing more.

“Common sense must be at the forefront because, after all, people wrote the programs according to which they act.”

Tsunoda was widely praised for his performance that day, but Tost believes if the strategist had made a better call he would have done even better.

AlphaTauri are in an interesting position right now as they lean further into their relationship with Red Bull.

That should see them challenging the likes of Williams and Alpine next year, but their driver situation is fascinating too.

With Sergio Perez fighting for a contract extension at Red Bull, both Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will be hoping to potentially take his seat.