STR: A lot to offer a manufacturer

Although open to Renault purchasing the Toro Rosso team, Franz Tost concedes the engine supplier has bigger issues to deal with at present.

With their relationship with Red Bull Racing souring in recent months due to their failure to match Mercedes' power unit, there has been talk of Renault returning to a works team.

One possibility is the French manufacturer purchasing Toro Rosso, which already uses their engines, and rebranding it.

However, STR team boss Tost reckons at this point in time Renault have bigger issues than "painting a car."

He told the official F1 website: "Renault wanted to present their brand more – that was the starting point.

"A yellow/white car with big Renault letters! No problem – they can do this with Toro Rosso.

"But at the moment (Renault Sport boss) Cyril (Abiteboul) said that their main problem is currently to sort out their reliability problems and not painting a car.

"And before that is sorted out they will not think in the direction of either taking over a team or branding a team. That can change in the next couple of weeks and months."

Pressed as to whether it would benefit Toro Rosso to become a manufacturer team as 'right now no team that is not a manufacturer team can win a championship', Tost said: "Correct. That's the way it is right now. And Toro Rosso have a lot to offer a manufacturer.

"We have a proper infrastructure, we have a good technical team, and we have a lean structure.

"We want to finish in P5, and the next step would be to work together with a manufacturer or to become a manufacturer team – to become a real front-runner.

"There is no timeline on that – when (it happens), Red Bull and Renault decide."