Tost 'more than happy' with Toro Rosso lineup

May 1 - Max Verstappen will continue to steal the limelight even though Carlos Sainz is also doing a good job.

That is the view of the duo's Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost, amid speculation it could be Dutchman Verstappen who is promoted to the senior Red Bull team for 2017.

"Max is doing great, but Carlos as well," Tost told the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

"However, Max is in a special position. He is the youngest F1 driver ever, so there is a lot of attention on him, regardless of how Carlos is also doing.

"I hope Carlos has less bad luck this year than he did last year, because you will see that there is little between him and Max," the Austrian added.

Tost said he would therefore be happy if Red Bull's driver manager Dr Helmut Marko decides to keep the same drivers at Toro Rosso next year.

"Our drivers are absolutely valuable to us," he said. "We are more than happy with how things are going with Max and Carlos.

"It's also very nice that they are quite similar in their way of working and adjusting the car, which makes it a lot easier for the engineers," said Tost.

But if Verstappen does get the call up to Red Bull, it is expected he would replace Daniil Kvyat. That is despite the fact Marko has praised the young Russian's current form.

"Kvyat's speed is exceptional," the Austrian told Sport Bild.

"For me, Daniil is a mixture of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel," Marko added.

So if Kvyat does have to be relegated to Toro Rosso, Tost will be happy to accept him.

"He is super fast and has an almost acrobatic car control," he said, "yet he is still very young.

"Additionally, he's as extremely focused and as assertive as Vettel, coming from Russia which is not a motor sport stronghold. As a child he already came to Italy, which makes what he has been able to achieve even more valuable," added Tost.

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