Tost is thanked for coaching Verstappen among others

Franz Tost is leaving Scuderia AlphaTauri after no less than 18 years and is being thanked by Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff. Thanks go especially to Tost for mentoring the finest talents Formula 1 has ever seen, of which Max Verstappen was one.

OIndeed, Verstappen made his debut at the then Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2015. So Verstappen was also coached by Tost there, although the Dutchman did not drive for long under the Austrian's management. In mid-2016, Verstappen already made the step up to Red Bull Racing.

Verstappen most exceptional talent in F1?

Mintzlaff says in a press statement, "Firstly, I would like to thank Franz Tost for his hard work at Scuderia AlphaTauri and Scuderia Toro Rosso over the past 18 years. [...] His leadership resulted in outstanding victories and in the development of some of the finest talents ever seen in Formula 1. Replacing him as he steps back has not been easy and has resulted in a redefinition of the management structure at the Team"

By developing the finest talents Formula 1 has ever seen, Mintzlaff must be talking about Verstappen. The Dutchman was put into the Toro Rosso by Helmut Marko at a very young age. From those Red Bull ranks under the tutelage of Tost, the Dutchman grew quickly and the foundations were laid for his two F1 world titles.