McLaren Boss feels that with the new budget caps coming into play from 2021, both teams would be better off by dividing budgets equally.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has a suggestion for Helmut Marko – split resources equally between Red Bull and AlphaTauri. Alpha Tauri was earlier known as Toro Rosso, joining F1 in the year 2006. Since its inception, it has served as a feeder team to Red Bull.
With Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat thriving, there are calls for Red Bull to give them an equal share. Marko, on his part, had earlier claimed that AlphaTauri has been upgraded to Red Bull’s “sister team“.
He also suggested the relationship between AlphaTauri and Red Bull Technologies has become stronger. With the new budget cap from next year and a sliding scale for R&D based on positions on the Constructors’ Championship, Brown feels it would be wise split the budget equally.
Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, he said: “I think you’re going to have three or four teams that now run in the budget cap, ourselves, Renault, Racing Point and I think AlphaTauri will also.
“And I think Red Bull, if I’m Dr Helmut Marko, I now have two teams. Collectively, I can kind of spread my resources and create two equal teams. So, I think they’re a big winner out of this as well.
“And then I think it closes the budget gap for – I’m not sure if Sauber, Haas and Williams will run at the cap, but the difference between where they are today and where the cap will be will certainly be tighter.
“So I think everybody’s really a winner at the end of the day. And it’s going to make for fairer, more balanced competition.”
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It remains to be seen if Marko pays heed to Brown’s suggestion. If AlphaTauri can spring in a suprise this season, and impress the Red Bull hierarchy, it could still well happen. The 2020 season kicks off at their Red Bull Ring in Austria this weekend.
