Alpha Tauri Changes Team Name for 2024
Image: Getty Images
Alpha Tauri is changing their name again. The news comes after Helmut Marko has confirmed that for 2024, Alpha Tauri is no longer going to be called Alpha Tauri. What the new name will be is still a mystery, considering that this is breaking news. Planet F1 got word from Red Bull Motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, probably Red Bull’s most influential and important figure, that they are stepping away from marketing clothing company Alpha Tauri to follow its senior team Red Bull more closely. This is somewhat of a indication that the current team cannot innovate by themselves because they are currently lagging behind Red Bull in the constructors' standings. They will follow Red Bull Racing as closely as the regulations allow.
These are really fighting words from Alpha Tauri. They're going to be trying to “bend” the rules and figure out what they can actually get away with to copy Red Bull. In the Toro Rosso days, they already shared a lot of components, causing controversy back in 2006. But now, what does this mean exactly? This might actually spark speculation about Daniel Ricciardo's future in the Red Bull family. If Alpha Tauri, or whatever it's going to be called, wants to follow Red Bull, this may just be the perfect opportunity for Daniel Ricciardo to return without upsetting the current lineup at Red Bull's main team. However, this raises questions about the junior drivers. Jehan Daruvala and Liam Lawson were lined up to be the next drivers for 2024, but now we’re now starting to think that this might be an excuse to put Daniel in the car without upsetting the current lineup at Red Bull.
Image: Getty Images
This was somewhat inevitable, as back in 2020, when Alpha Tower first formed, they wanted to distance themselves from the idea that they were a junior team to Red Bull. They aimed to be called the sister team, sharing some intel but operating independently. However, it's becoming more and more obvious that this approach is not working. In 2020, they achieved a fairy tale result with Pierre Gasly's win at Monza, but since then, they have been deviating further and further away. In 2022, they were one of the bottom teams of the constructor's championship, and currently, Williams is outperforming them. This is not a situation Helmut Marko wants to see. He has the best team on the grid with Red Bull, but also the worst team with Alpha Tauri. To properly develop potential Red Bull juniors, they need a team that can at least achieve sixth place. The recent news about Nick de Vries and Yuki Tsunoda adds to the uncertainty surrounding the drivers. Helmut Marko acknowledges that Yuki is doing all right, while Nick is “trying his best” with Marko trying to be diplomatic. But previously, a recording revealed Marko's disappointment in de Vries. Therefore, we might see a completely different lineup for Alpha Tauri in the future.
Image: Formula 1 Media
Regarding the team's name, possibilities could include a new rendition of the old Toro Rosso name, and a play on the Red Bull name. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Toro Rosso name again since it was essentially Red Bull with an Italian touch. As for the team's location in Faenza, Italy, it would make sense to go back to that name and revive the iconic blue, red, and silver livery. The previous liveries of Alpha Tauri have been stylish, but they didn't significantly improve the fashion brand associated with it. According to Helmut Marko, there will be many more sponsors on the car, reducing the dominance of the Alpha Tauri logo. In essence, the team will go back to something closer to Red Bull Toro Rosso, a conventional team.
Additionally, Alpha Tauri will have a new team leader, Laurent Mekies, who joins from Ferrari. Franz Tost, the figurehead of the Alpha Tauri/Minardi group since the Toro Rosso days, is planning to retire. There have been a lot of things said, such as the snubbing of Mick Schumacher as a potential Alpha Tauri candidate, which has added to the messiness within the Red Bull group. Despite previous speculation about Alpha Tauri being sold to Andretti, the current situation reveals something entirely different. Alpha Tauri is changing its name for the second time in just a few years. It's an interesting development. What do you think the new name will be?