“Completely no doubts” that Ricciardo would discover F1 kind once more

Ricciardo’s progress was halted by the hand injury that he received at his third appearance in Zandvoort, which value him 5 races.

Nonetheless, in Mexico he surprised the F1 paddock by qualifying fourth and hanging on to a valuable seventh place in the race.

Tost, who steps again into an advisory function on the finish of the season, says he knew that Ricciardo – who drove for the crew in its Toro Rosso guise in 2012 and 2013 – would stand up to hurry.

“Completely no doubts,” he instructed Autosport. “I did not have any doubts, as a result of he is skilled, and he could not have misplaced the flexibility to drive an F1 automobile quick.

“As soon as this, you do not lose it. And what he missed perhaps previously was the belief within the automobile, belief within the crew. Due to this fact, he could not carry out on the extent which we all know he’s usually capable of do.”

Tost conceded that although Ricciardo regarded fast from the beginning of the Mexico Metropolis GP weekend the Australian had exceeded expectations in qualifying.

“It was a Positive shock,” he stated. “I anticipated him to be throughout the first six. However to be within the fourth place was actually good.

“An excellent efficiency in qualifying in addition to within the race, particularly at first, when he might maintain Lewis Hamilton behind him.

“And for Daniel, I believe the pink flag was not good. As a result of this value him a few of his efficiency as a result of we had to make use of the identical onerous tyre after the restart as soon as extra. And this was a drawback.

“However however, he drove a really, superb race and he introduced it residence within the seventh place.”

Tost pressured that the resurgent Ricciardo will play a major function within the crew heading into 2024.

“It is crucial as a result of the crew wants one skilled driver,” he stated. “And Daniel is absolutely the proper selection. And I stated to him, it is good now, as a result of now you are within the race mode. And we’re trying ahead now to Sao Paulo.”

Within the final two races, AlphaTauri has scored 11 factors and moved from tenth to eighth within the constructors’ championship.

Williams is 12 factors forward, however Tost says that his crew can goal seventh place over the remaining races.

“I anticipated eventually that the crew would make factors as a result of we weren’t as unhealthy because it regarded like,” he stated of the late surge. “However we had been a bit unfortunate previously, particularly with Daniel in Zandvoort.

“And I need to additionally say that engineers particularly on the aero facet made some large steps ahead, the updates which they dropped at the automobile labored. And it is fairly necessary that we obtain now on the aerodynamic fairly a very good efficiency.

“The seventh place could possibly be doable as a result of we’re 12 factors behind if I’ve it appropriate. We simply made 11 factors now in two races. Now we have one other three races to go.

“If we get every little thing collectively, perhaps we are going to come shut there, perhaps we are able to beat them. After all that is the goal.”