Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has revealed the AlphaTauri name will be dropped from the 2024 Formula One season.
Confirmed:
- Red Bull sister team will drop the AlphaTauri name after four seasons
- AlphaTauri will also be seeking ‘new sponsors’ next season
Context: A restructure has been a long-time coming at Red Bull’s secondary Formula One team. While the top team leads the way in the sport, AlphaTauri is languishing at the back of the pack after eight races. In April, the team announced the first step of the overhaul for 2024: Laurent Mekies, sporting director at Ferrari, will be team principal and former International Automobile Federation (FIA) executive director Peter Bayer will step in as chief executive. This isn’t the first rebrand of the Faenza-based outfit, though, as the team competed as Toro Rosso between 2006 and 2019.
Comment: Marko told Austrian media outlet Kleine Zeitung: “AlphaTauri will have two new leaders in Laurent Mekies and Peter Bayer from 2024. 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.”
Consequence: Marko’s comment about new sponsors is an interesting one, as the team already has a multi-year primary partnership in place with Polish oil refiner PKN Orlen. A rebrand could be opening up the possibility of a title sponsor signing on with the team and having more creative control, much in the way that BWT runs a full pink livery on the Alpine Formula One car at select races.