AlphaTauri has denied suggestions from Ferrari Formula 1 boss Fred Vasseur that it was “aggressive” in its announcement that Laurent Mekies will succeed Franz Tost as team principal after 2023.
In the lead up to this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, AlphaTauri revealed Tost would be stepping aside from his role after 18 years and be replaced by Ferrari racing director Mekies next year.
It is this news that has irked Vasseur as, while he was not opposed to Mekies being offered such an opportunity, negotiations over when he will leave the team have not been finalised yet.
“First of all, I think it’s a mega opportunity for Laurent, considering also that I have a good relationship with him,” said Vasseur, as quoted by The Race. “And I won’t block Laurent, for sure.
“Then I think it’s also – if you speak about timeline – I think Toro Rosso [AlphaTauri] was probably a bit aggressive on the press release, and we have a long-term contract with Laurent and we’ll have to discuss about details.”
But speaking to the media for the first time since the news broke in Baku, Tost revealed AlphaTauri hadn’t planned on making an announcement until later in the year.
“But as you’re all very professional, there were some leaks in the press,” he said.
“And I didn’t want to come here to Baku and to tell all to you know, ‘no,I don’t know anything’, because it’s not the way we work.
“Then we said ‘OK, we go out with the press release’. It was planned to a later time in the year. And now it’s out.
“Of course, I can imagine that some people are not happy about this.”
Tost admitted he didn’t expect the press release to be issued so soon as he was unaware of the leak in the Italian media over Mekies’ switch from Ferrari.
But he agreed it was the right decision as he wanted to avoid telling “useless lies” surrounding his future.
“If you read in the press the rumours, I could say now, ‘I don’t comment on rumours’.
“But you’re all clever. I respect all of you. I don’t want to be here to tell you useless lies.”
Mekies is on the Ferrari pitwall this weekend and is likely to continue in his position, at least, in the short term.
Tost’s departure will see AlphaTauri, previously Toro Rosso, have a new team principal for the first since Red Bull bought the Minardi team in late 2005.
Tost stressed the decision to retire was his choice and he was not forced out, with a long held desire to walk away from F1 before he turned 70 that he discussed with former Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Materhitz before his passing last year.
“It started already two years ago,” Tost said.
“And when I was younger, I always said to myself, ‘if you’re in a leading position, then you should not be glued to the seat, you should give this position to younger people, more clever people, creative people, motivated people’.
“And now I’m going into the 70s it’s time to say goodbye. I love Formula 1. I like all of you as well! But it’s a story which has to end.
“And especially now with the solution with Peter Bayer as CEO and with Laurent Mekies we have two fantastic people who will replace me.
“I think it’s the best time to go out of Formula 1.”
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