AlphaTauri will move closer to Red Bull’s design philosophy next year and change its name again, Helmut Marko has revealed.
The team previously announced it will have a new management team for the 2024 F1 season, when Peter Bayer and Laurent Mekies will take over from current principal Franz Tost. Marko has now revealed the changes will go much deeper.
As well as another change of brand for the team which was called Toro Rosso between 2006 and 2019, AlphaTauri will also follow Red Bull’s design philosophy more closely, Marko indicated.
“AlphaTauri will have two new leaders in Laurent Mekies and Peter Bayer from 2024,” Marko told Kleine Zeitung. “There will be new sponsors and also a new name.
“The orientation is clear: based on Red Bull Racing, as far as the regulations allow. Do-it-yourself constructions are the wrong way.”
The two Red Bull-owned teams share the same power units, based on the designs created by Honda and adopted by Red Bull Powertrains after the Japanese manufacturer withdrew from F1 at the end of 2021. The teams also share some parts which are supplied by Red Bull Technologies.
F1’s rules prevent teams from sharing components completely. However it is possible for one team to closely but legally mimic a rival’s car, as Racing Point (now Aston Martin) did in 2020, basing its RP20 on the successful design raced by Mercedes.
AlphaTauri fell to last place in the constructors’ championship at the most recent race in Canada. Meanwhile Red Bull is dominating the season, winning every race held so far, and is on course to score a second consecutive constructors’ title.
Red Bull created Toro Rosso in 2006 by purchasing the assets of Minardi, which had been in F1 since 1985. Toro Rosso initially used old Red Bull chassis in a customer supply deal, until that practice was outlawed. Its premises are split between the former Minardi base in Faenza, Italy, and an aerodynamics division in Bicester, United Kingdom.
AlphaTauri has been approached for comment.
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