AlphaTauri is set to undergo a massive overhaul as Helmut Marko has a new vision for Red Bull Racing’s sister team. Beginning from the team’s name itself, AlphaTauri will have a new identity altogether. There shall also be a complete management restructuring, with current team boss Franz Tost stepping aside at the end of the season. These changes come after the death of Red Bull’s founder and long-time boss Dietrich Mateschitz. Now, the team formerly known as Toro Rosso is set to head in a completely different direction altogether.
AlphaTauri is a team that costs more money than Red Bull Racing but is a consistent tail-ender in the F1 standings. This meant that the company had to cut the cost gap cap themselves. They also have an underperforming car that can often be highly unstable when going into corners at high speeds.
Hence, with no real benefits coming out of AlphaTauri’s operation, rumors of the team being sold started to surface. However, such conversations have now died down, with Red Bull confirming that they will continue operating as AlphaTauri’s sister team but with a serious overhaul.
Helmut Marko has a plan to bring AlphaTauri back to life
Helmut Marko has made it clear that he wants to revamp AlphaTauri, from its name to its leaders to where it operates. Keeping the team’s consistent chain of poor results in mind, Red Bull has no option but to change how the group works to meet the latest cost cap regulations.
Marko has already secured the services of Ferrari’s racing director Laurent Mekies, who will serve as the team’s new principal from 2024 onwards. Mekies will accompany outgoing FIA general secretary Peter Bayer, the team’s new CEO. The new-look AlphaTauri will also change and shall sport a new title sponsor. Furthermore, the team’s base will move from Faenza to Milton Keynes so that they can work closely with Red Bull. The late Dietrich Mateschitz promised AlphaTauri’s previous owner that the team would remain at Faenza, but Marko has no intention of keeping the promise.
AlphaTauri- the fashion brand from which the racing team derives its name, has also been struggling to support the title sponsorship of an F1 outfit. The brand has four offline outlets, and its reach shall remain within those confines. The new-look team will operate with Red Bull, as Haas and Ferrari operate in Maranello, per Marko statements in BusinessF1 magazine.
New team to essentially join the grid from 2024 onwards
With the entire team entity set to change, AlphaTauri’s rebranding is comparable to the entry of a new team set to compete in F1 next season. The cost of operations will go down significantly once both teams start working in Milton Keynes. Helmut Marko says,
“The orientation is clear: based on Red Bull Racing, as far as the regulations allow. Do-it-yourself constructions are the wrong way.”
With Mekies and Bayer set to lead the team, their current drivers also fear being cut. Following a series of underwhelming results, Red Bull’s third driver Daniel Ricciardo has already replaced F1 rookie Nyck de Vries. To keep his place, he has to perform strongly for the remainder of the season. In particular, Ricciardo has to outperform hist teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
With one fashion brand heading out, another seems keen on replacing them as soon as possible. German brand Hugo Boss has emerged as the frontrunner to replace the outgoing AlphaTauri. Eager to gain more extensive exposure, the current Aston Martin partner will look to brand the new team as ‘Boss’ or ‘Boss Orange.’
