Mateschitz: Toro Rosso must improve
Scuderia Toro Rosso owner Dietrich Mateschitz has called on his junior team to raise its game after a disappointing 2012 season
The Red Bull co-owner admitted that he was dissatisfied with the ex-Minardi outfit's progress after it scored only 26 points and slipped down to ninth in the constructors' standings.
AUTOSPORT understands that unhappiness with the team's form was one of the factors that led to James Key replacing Giorgio Ascanelli as technical director midway through the season.
"Toro Rosso is our rookie team and its goals differ from those of Red Bull Racing," Mateschitz told AUTO, the international journal of the FIA.
"But that's not to say we're happy with the development of the car. Significant improvements need to be found and are being called for."
Daniel Ricciardo, who remains with Toro Rosso for a second season next year, is confident that the team can live up to Mateschitz's expectations, and return to its 2011 form, when it finished seventh in the constructors' championship.
"That's the aim for the team," Ricciardo told AUTOSPORT when asked if he was confident of the team taking a step forward next year.
"James coming on board, that's definitely his ambition and a big reason why he has come into the team.
"There's a lot of room to progress. With all due respect to what we did in 2012, we have more room to go forwards than to go backwards so I definitely see us progressing."
Share Or Save This Story
Did Bianchi have potential to become F1 world champion?
Autosport 75: Kubica's road to recovery and beyond
Autosport 75: When Red Bull had its own intra-team fight like Norris vs Piastri
Why Lawson wasn't penalised for flipping Gasly in Miami GP
Why Albon's track-limits strike in F1 Miami GP sprint qualifying came too late
The litmus test for Lindblad after his rapid rise to F1
MotoGP confident it will "reach an agreement" with manufacturers over commercial cycle
How over the course of two decades GT3 became modern motorsport’s greatest success
Why time is running out to make bigger F1 power unit changes for 2027
Where will ‘yo-yo’ F1 racing return?
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments