Tost expecting Sainz confirmation at Toro Rosso for 2017 soon - MotorSportsTalk

TURIN, Italy – Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 chief Franz Tost expects Carlos Sainz Jr. to soon be confirmed as racing for the team in 2017.

Toro Rosso acts as Red Bull’s B-team in F1, its purpose being to enjoy synergies with the senior operation and help to nurture young drivers.

Sainz has raced for Toro Rosso since the start of 2015, but admitted recently that his chances of moving up to the senior Red Bull team are slim given the long-term deals that Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen are on.

Speaking to reporters at the FIA Sport Conference on Tuesday, Tost said that he expects Sainz to be confirmed as a Toro Rosso driver for 2017 shortly.

“I don’t see any problem there because it depends always what’s going on at Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Racing for next season is full with Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen,” Tost said.

“It looks like and I personally hope that this is the case that Carlos Sainz will stay with Toro Rosso. I think this will be confirmed soon.

“It’s also a good possibility for Carlos to show his talent and I hope that our car next year is very competitive that he will not find any disadvantages compared to another team.”

Daniil Kvyat currently occupies Toro Rosso’s second seat after being demoted from Red Bull after the Russian Grand Prix, and Tost hopes he will stay on.

“Personally I would hope that also Daniil Kvyat will stay with us because he is a really good driver, but he has to feel well,” Tost said.

“Then we will see what the future holds.

“At the end it is a decision from Red Bull Racing to bring in a driver which shows the best possible performance for the team and for Red Bull.”

Follow @LukeSmithF1

An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”