Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost has defended the decision to replace both drivers in 2012 because the team is the "rookie training school".

13048 - STR a 'rookie training school' - Tost

Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne will replace Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi next season, with the announcement coming as a surprise following a strong end to the season for Alguersuari especially. Tost, however, said that both drivers had gained enough experience to prove themselves and retaining them would not fit with the philosophy of the team.

"Sebastien has been with us for three seasons and Jaime for two and a half," Tost said. "Both of them worked hard for the team, doing their very best and achieving some good results. However, Scuderia Toro Rosso's ethos has always been that of the "rookie training school" and with over two seasons under your belt, you are no longer a rookie."

Tost did admit that he would have rather see the drivers graduating up to Red Bull instead of being left without a drive, but said the decision mirrored the competitive nature of Formula One.

"In an ideal world, drivers would move from Scuderia Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing, but there are no vacancies with our sister team right now. It might be seen as a harsh decision, but Formula 1 is a tough environment and Toro Rosso has always been very clear about the principles behind its driver choice."