'Schumacher, Senna, Prost and Verstappen have that in common'

Franz Tost, meanwhile, is enjoying retirement. At least, it is not a given that the Austrian will indeed remain behind the geraniums. It is already clear that the former AlphaTauri team boss will talk to Red Bull on 15 January about a possible role within the drinks manufacturer's racing teams. Until that date, he has time to give interviews, for example to Bild.

In his long-standing career with Red Bull's training team, Tost saw some of the best F1 drivers of all time up close. Top talents Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel became Formula 1 world champions after a stint at (then called) Toro Rosso. Tost says he cannot predict from an early age that someone will become a world champion, but a natural talent he recognises quickly.

"Then you look at the driving skills of drivers and how they handle speed. With Michael [Schumacher], for whom even a first lap in a Formula 1 car was nothing too much to ask. The same applied to his brother Ralf. And also with Max Verstappen," Tost believes, citing as an example the Dutchman's first metres as a 17-year-old at Suzuka. "He also had no problem with braking, despite the huge 6G."

Tost always saw champions busy at work

It is not only on the track that Tost recognises the best, but also off it. The real top drivers spend hours with their engineers to set up the car in the best possible way. Michael Schumacher was one such person. "Yes, but also Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz or Pierre Gasly are hard workers. Michael and co always knew how to improve and what their teammate's weakness was."

From the start, the champions spent most of their time on the track with their engineers and data. "That's what Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen all have in common," Tost stated.