It’s an open secret that the AlphaTauri moniker will be replaced by another name next season, following confirmation by Red Bull Racing’s senior advisor Helmut Marko that the Austrian conglomerate was no longer looking to sell their secondary F1 team. Questions still remained, however, regarding the future identity of the Italian-based team, and what it might look like in 2024.
Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo; for years, AlphaTauri has enjoyed a neverending convertor belt of Formula 1-ready talent to drive under its name. Future World Champions, earning their stripes at Red Bull’s junior side until they’re ready to make the step to compete for titles.
Red Bull has always benefitted from a strong junior racing team in AlphaTauri – formerly Toro Rosso – utilising the Italian-based team as a feeder for the big leagues.
Following reports that Red Bull was entertaining – albeit briefly – a $1 billion offer to buy AlphaTauri at the start of 2023, the now outgoing Team Principal Franz Tost declared that team would be continuing to race in F1 categorically denying rumours that the team would be sold.
Tost’s sentiments were echoed by Helmut Marko, who has always maintained that AlphaTauri is the sister team of Red Bull, not the academy. Marko stated that instead of selling the Italian-based team, Red Bull was actively looking to strengthen its position on the grid, starting with its name.
“It is something we are reconsidering,” Marko revealed to racingnews365.com. “It is logical too. The branding of AlphaTauri has been scaled back somewhat, because only in a few countries where we race, AlphaTauri is actually sold… More money must be brought in and results improved.”
Now, Red Bull will continue the habitual Formula 1 trend of pinching from the other teams, adopting former McLaren, Mercedes and now Aston Martin sponsors, world-famous brand, Hugo Boss. It’s reported that the luxury fashion label will become the main and title sponsor of AlphaTauri in 2024.
Tost and Marko have also confirmed that Red Bull is relocating the AlphaTauri operations from Italy to England for the new season, to benefit from closer proximity to Red Bull’s UK headquarters – something that Daniel Ricciardo’s teammate is looking forward to.
“It’s a good thing, having a lot more connection between Red Bull and AlphaTauri – probably it should be like that from three years ago,” Yuki Tsunoda revealed. “I’m feeling pretty optimistic, lots of connections, stronger connections between Red Bull, so it should be better overall.”
It remains to be seen whether Daniel Ricciardo will be making the move from Monaco to Milton Keynes come 2024. The Australian driver is yet to secure any points for his new racing team following his sensational loan move to AlphaTauri last month, but it’s no surprise that even Team Principal Christian Horner has admitted Ricciardo wants his old Red Bull seat in 2025. He may just have to settle for bossing further down the grid for one more year.