Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost believes the team's technical director James Key can succeed Adrian Newey as Fomrula 1's top design talent.
Newey is often regarded as the sport's best designer, helping deliver four back-to-back championships for Red Bull as well as others for McLaren and Williams.
Tost however believes Key has what it takes to get on the same level as Newey "in a couple of years".
"James has developed a lot in the last few years, and he has built up an excellent team around him,” Tost told the official F1 website.
“Why not?" replied Tost when asked if the Briton, who has been with Toro Rosso since 2012, can succeed Newey. "But it will depend much on where the regulations go. As always in life it is a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
"Adrian Newey is simply much more experienced, but I am convinced that James will be one of the top technical personalities in F1 in a couple of years."
Tost is confident Key will remain with the Red Bull sister team next season, confirming he has a contract for 2017 and possiblt beyond.
"Of course it is always a person’s ambition to do as they want – but nevertheless James has a contract with Toro Rosso and I expect that he will respect this contract.
"This is the point where I have to use the confidential word! (laughs) And we want to keep it [the length of the contract] confidential."
