Formula 1 | AlphaTauri, the Franz Tost era ends in Abu Dhabi

Formula 1 GP Abu Dhabi AlphaTauri – In the classic pre-race media preview, Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda expressed an affectionate greeting towards Franz Tost, current Team Principal of the Faenza company who will leave the team at the end of the race scheduled for Sunday on the Yas Marina track.

Both drivers, for different reasons, wanted to thank the Austrian Manager for the support shown in these seasons, specifying how his work has guaranteed the world of Formula 1 a dynamic team always ready to compete for the important positions on the grid. The role of Tost, we remember, will be taken by Laurent Mekies, currently stuck for the classic "gardening" after his experience as sporting director of Ferrari.

“This will be Franz's last race with the team and it's something important considering he's been with us since day one,” Ricciardo revealed. “When I first visited the factory this year, a lot of things had changed since the last time I raced for them, but Franz was a constant presence. It has always been a huge pleasure to work with him and you have to admire his dedication and desire to win, which is as strong today as when I started racing with the team in 2012."

This is Tsunoda's greeting instead: “Franz Tost was the only F1 team principal I worked with. This year, every race has been a battle not only for me, but also for him, and I feel a strong motivation to overtake Williams in his last race as our helmsman. I appreciate what he did. Without him I wouldn't have raced here and without his advice I wouldn't have made so much progress. Concluding this season with a good result, as we all desire, would be the perfect way to pay homage to him and put a smile on his face."