Why a departing stalwart was perfectly suited to F1's most pragmatic team

He was tasked by Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz with developing young talent. Eighteen years, five grand prix winners and two world champions later, the man usually first in and last out of AlphaTauri’s factory every day is stepping aside. But, as OLEG KARPOV found out, if there’s one thing this loyal team man doesn’t like, it’s talking about himself…

A long, rose-tinted farewell interview? No way, he’s not going to do it. A sentimental rewind through 18 years at the helm of Red Bull’s junior team, a key role in developing young talent into grand prix winners and world champions, memories of his own racing career… Franz Tost is not available for any of this. He still has a job to do before he clocks out and melts away from Formula 1 into a quiet retirement in the Austrian Alps.

“He will refuse to talk about himself.” Fabiana Valenti, AlphaTauri’s communications director, has been with the team since its Minardi days and well knows how its boss rolls. He might make an exception for us, though, because we’re friends, she says. But only if we want to talk about the team. After all, representing it is part of his job.