Toro Rosso’s management has given the clearest indication yet that it expects both Jaime Alguersuari and Sébastien Buemi to deliver some serious results to indicate they are worthy of a race seat at the senior Red Bull Racing team.
And the result of failing to demonstrate this? A spot in the unemployment queues beckons, warns team boss Franz Tost…
“It’s very simple and clear,” Tost told reporters. “We are responsible in forming and educating drivers for Red Bull Racing. If we do not believe a driver can succeed at Red Bull Racing, he has no room in Scuderia Toro Rosso either.
“Though learning never ends in F1, Buemi and Alguersuari must prove now what they can do. Both of them improved very much over the winter – physically and mentally. But now we must see results.”
And with the team’s test and reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo waiting in the wings, the two main drivers will need to deliver their ‘A’ game, and they helped their cause with a double points finish at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
“Ricciardo has made a very good impression,” Tost continued. “He has a lot of talent, and his output for the engineers is very good and useful.”
Any drop-off in form from either Alguersuari or Buemi will see Ricciardo’s role in the STR6 cockpit extended to more than just a single Friday practice session, Tost warned.
“If one of our race drivers does not fulfil his expectations during this season, we will put Ricciardo into the cockpit. This puts some pressure on Buemi and Alguersuari. But, on the other hand, RBR might have to fill a vacancy at the end of 2011, so this would be a big chance [for them to deliver].”
Clear as mud…
[Image via Flickr]
Richard Bailey
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