Dr. Helmut Marko recently made a shocking statement that AlphaTauri will undergo a massive shakedown ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 season, with new leaders and possibly new drivers along with new title sponsors all set to re-ignite the Italian outfit’s glorious form of the past. However, what’s interesting is that the acknowledgment arrived from Marko, who is widely associated with the functioning of Red Bull Racing, therefore, almost acting like a bridge between the two teams.
Hence, many wondered, ‘How are the two F1 brands related?’ Does Red Bull own AlphaTauri? Here’s everything you need to know about the mysterious relationship between Red Bull and its supposed ‘sister outfit’.
The 17-Year History of AlphaTauri in F1
In one word, yes! Red Bull bought its way into Minardi in 2006, a meagrely successful racing outfit that competed in Formula 1 for over 20 years, and renamed it ‘Toro Rosso’. The name managed to stick around for nearly 14 years before Red Bull decided to use their own in-house brand as the title sponsor, and hence, has called it ‘AlphaTauri’ since 2020.
šØ Peter Bayer has confirmed that AlphaTauri will be shifting towards the Red Bull car concept
“In the future we will get everything that is permitted by the regulations from Red Bull Racing, and [we] will of course also come closer to Red Bull in terms of car design.”ā¦ pic.twitter.com/1drObPobx7
ā RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) August 28, 2023
But, before unraveling the story of newborn AlphaTauri, there’s a lot more to the evolution of its predecessor, Toro Rosso. During the early stages, Toro Rosso had to bear the brunt of immense opposition from the rivals. Being a new works team, Toro Rosso entirely depended on Red Bull and even ran Red Bull’s 2005 car chassis over its debut year in Formula 1.
Hence, considering the close association between the two teams, rivals demanded a change in regulations in the hopes of obstructing Toro Rosso from emulating Red Bull’s success. However, nothing budged Red Bull, as they remained the primary chassis supplier for Toro Rosso until 2009.
It was only in 2010 when F1 finally unveiled the new Concorde Agreement which had Toro Rosso standing on its own leg in the sport.
The close relationship between Red Bull and Toro Rosso
Despite establishing their own factory, team principal, engineers, and mechanics, a seemingly independent Toro Rosso was still being controlled by Red Bull. The Milton Keynes outfit had the final call on driver line-ups, movement in roles behind the scenes, and pretty much all the key changes.
On this day, Sebastian Vettel wins the 2008 Italian Grand Prix in a Toro Rosso, marking the first win in an illustrious career containing 53 Race Victories and 4 Consecutive World Championships.
Greatness. š pic.twitter.com/ym3pT1WbPa
ā naserati mc12 stradale (@formulanas) August 23, 2023
This was indeed one of the biggest reasons why Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri are regarded as the ‘sister outfit’. Then arrived the unexpected name and livery change for Toro Rosso, which was rebranded as AlphaTauri. From owning an almost similar design to Red Bull, AlphaTauri embraced a refreshing new tweak in livery, opting for a unique dark blue-white combination.
However, only after three years, Red Bull admitted that promoting their own brand through their sister outfit had barely paid off. Therefore, reports suggest that there could be a new title sponsor in German fashion giant Hugo Boss.
Dr. Helmut Marko acknowledges the departure of AlphaTauri amid poor 2023 campaign
Speaking to GP Fans, Marko admitted that AlphaTauri has fallen back in recent years and is in desperate need of a shakedown. “AlphaTauri will have two new leaders in 2024, Laurent Mekies and Peter Bayer,” the Austrian said. “The orientation is clear: follow Red Bull Racing as far as the regulations allow. Own designs are the wrong way to go.”
Overall, 2023 has arguably been the lowest point of AlphaTauri’s three-year journey in F1. Hence, amidst the new arrivals and also acquiring the permission to use Red Bull’s title-contending RB19 designs, can AlphaTauri reclaim their lost form and find their way to the top of the mid-field pack next season?