Tost was "shocked" in first Honda meeting

Toro Rosso F1 team principal Franz Tost has said that he was “shocked” at how little car knowledge Honda had after its partnership with McLaren.

The Red Bull junior team took on Honda as engine suppliers at the beginning of the 2018 season and impressed enough to secure supplying engine to the parent team.

"We had very good cooperation and we have a very good business relationship. If there is something which we detect on our side, we sit together, we discuss it, and then we try to find a solution,” Said Tost (Autosport.com).

"When we had the first meeting together with Honda, I was shocked, because they didn't know things which are related to the chassis or power unit.”

"If you are coming together with a new partner, first you have to sit together to discuss to find out where we need to be concentrating.”

"But it went very fast and very well because they were totally open and so were we from our side."

Honda had been engine suppliers to McLaren for three year and endured a tough time with the team. But said that the off-track communication was the biggest change between them and Toro Rosso.

"The Toro Rosso philosophy is generally that we are transparent because our only target is to be successful," Tost added.

"There are absolutely no politics within the team. We have a really good relationship."

Tost admitted that 2018 would be a difficult season for the team during its transition, but praised Honda for surpassing their expectations.

"I said last year quite clearly that it will not be an easy season, because of technical topics, which we have to sort out, but in the end, I must say that the power unit from Honda showed a much better performance than the chassis of Toro Rosso.”