In the most uncompetitive statement of the year so far, Toro Rosso team Principal Franz Tost has called for Formula 1 bosses to freeze engine development to allow Renault, Ferrari and Honda to catch up.
Would the Toro Rosso boss call for a freeze on aerodynamics if Red Bull turn out to be a match for Mercedes next season? It’s one thing asking for a closer grid so that the racing isn’t predictable, but to be on the side of artificially allowing the rest of the grid to catch up is just unsporting and uncompetitive.
Tost said,
“I hope Renault will catch up, especially because I don’t know what’s going on with Ferrari. We need Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari fighting for the championship at least.
If the power unit parity is not coming then normally the FIA should come up with a regulation to freeze it. I would freeze the power unit from Mercedes, the others should catch up and then they freeze all of them.
I would leave the development of the battery free because the battery is something for the future and it is also something important for the manufacturers.”
– Franz Tost
With Toto Wolff’s recent admission that Mercedes are setting aggressive targets for the performance of their 2017 car, it’s obvious that spending will be through the roof. Tost is coming at an angle regarding cost capping, but his statement lacks an air of competition too. If it’s genuinely a cost capping issue, then why not have a budgetary ceiling rather than a development freeze?
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The statement from Tost in the world of F1 isn’t welcome. It would be like football teams in La Liga demanding that Lionel Messi wears flippers instead of boots. Andy Murray should play tennis with a racket made of spaghetti because he’s too good at the minute. If the Patriots get to the Super Bowl next time, Tom Brady should be kneecapped just before before kickoff.
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