Toro Rosso expect team-mate rivalry

It had been mentioned that one of the reasons for moving Max Verstappen from Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing was to end an inter-team battle with Carlos Sainz.

The pair didn’t enjoy a good relationship on the track, with team orders regularly being ignored when it came to moving over to enable their team-mate to maximise their tyre strategies.

It would not have been the main reason, that was more likely to appease the young Dutchman and to keep him within the Red Bull stable and prevent his head from turning in the direction of Mercedes and Ferrari, but it was a reason.

If that in mind you would have been forgiven for thinking that the bosses at Red Bull Racing’s sister team Toro Rosso would be hoping for a quiet, non eventful end to 2016.

It may well be what they get in terms of performance as the 2015 specification Ferrari engine will handicap the team going into the second half of the season.

But between the drivers, Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost has claimed he expects the rivalry to heat up between Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat.

‘They know each other from the times before. But wait a little bit until they are closer – the game starts once more. That?s normal.

‘Because there is no difference whether it?s Max Verstappen, Daniil Kvyat or Carlos Sainz.

‘Currently we have quite an easy life because Carlos is ahead. I expect that it will change as soon as they will come closer together and then they will fight each other at the track and then they will touch or whatever. The usual story. This is how it is. he told motorsport.com.

But does he expect the rivalry to heat up, or is it actually wishful thinking because it would mean that Daniil Kvyat will have recovered from his unceremonious dumping from Red Bull.

Kvyat currently remains the ugly duckling within Red Bull, with everyone just assuming that it’s a matter of time before he makes way for the latest young up-start to be given a chance.

At the age of 22, he looks at risk of being thrown onto the Formula One scrap heap, despite a GP3 Championship in 2013 and two podiums in F1.

?It is always more difficult to bring the head in the correct way, because the car you can set up, you can change things, dampers, whatever. The head you can?t change so easy.

?It?s self-confidence that he needs. Once this is back, we all know that he is fast, he will fight for points.’

Let’s hope so for Kvyat’s career.