Buemi and Alguersuari will be performing well by mid-2010 according to Tost

The director of the Toro Rosso team, Franz Tost, stated in an interview that he has complete confidence in the potential of his drivers, who are rookies in 2009. According to him, their potential will peak by the middle of next season. The rookie driver duo is therefore almost official.

Scuderia Toro Rosso had the youngest lineup on the 2009 grid. It consisted of Sébastien Buemi, promoted to a main driver in 2009 after being named a replacement in 2008. Jaime Alguersuari was promoted mid-season, replacing Sébastien Bourdais. The Spaniard had never previously driven a F1 car. Despite this evident lack of experience, the team managed to score points several times this season, but with a car identical to the Red Bull, the world vice-champion, the performances seem ridiculous. Tost estimates that his lineup will be sufficiently experienced by mid-season 2010.

Initially, we had planned to complete the entire season with Bourdais and Buemi, comments Tost to the English magazine Autosport. The skills were what we wanted: an experienced driver with Bourdais in his second season who then became the ‘leader’ and a young driver. But for various reasons, it did not work out as we wanted, and we decided to change drivers during the year.

In the end, we had two completely new drivers in 2009, and it’s complicated for a team because we have to start everything from scratch, especially since the experience had to be gained!

Once doubts about a poor choice of lineup have faded, Tost admits he doesn’t complain about the team’s 2009 situation. According to him, his duo will be fully performing by mid-2010, when their experience is better developed. He also confirms having retained his driver duo with the support of Dietrich Mateschitz, the head of Red Bull in F1: Mateschitz bought this team to give young drivers their chance in F1… it’s our philosophy. We must follow it, and I am quite confident because we will have a good lineup next year. Alguersuari will know all the tracks, and Buemi has already significantly increased his level. The last races were quite successful, by the way!

Young drivers are, above all, ‘limit seekers.’ For Tost, his drivers must gain their own experience, and the four crashes in two days at Suzuka are part of the learning process. Therefore, he does not blame them: « Accidents are part of the game. New drivers must exceed their limits, or at least search for them, and that’s what I call the ‘Crash Period.’ It’s understandable. As long as it’s because of learning, I have no problem… »

Against all odds, this interview sounds like an official announcement. Buemi and Alguersuari should therefore race with Scuderia Toro Rosso next year. The team is also expected to confirm its partnership with Ferrari in a few days.