Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has revealed that the Austrians are “reconsidering” whether ‘AlphaTauri’ is the correct name for their sister team going forward, with talks going on behind-the-scenes to make the Faenza-based team more profitable.
It’s been a challenging 12 months or so for AlphaTauri, with the side having taken a massive step backwards since the introduction of the new aerodynamic regulations.
They slumped to ninth in the Constructors’ Championship last season and are yet to score a point this year, with their poor performance having resulted in rumours ahead of this season that Red Bull were considering selling their sister side.
Marko has since confirmed that AlphaTauri are “not for sale” but that talks are taking place as to how costs can be reduced, with the Italian team currently costing more to run than Red Bull.
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One option which has been considered is moving AlphaTauri from Italy to the UK, in a bid to be closer to Red Bull.
“Several considerations” have been discussed between Marko and Red Bull’s new CEO Oliver Mintzlaff but one thing that is for certain is that the side won’t be put on the market.
“No, AlphaTauri is not for sale,” Marko told RacingNews365.com.
“Internally, there were several considerations, though.
“What is not satisfactory is that AlphaTauri costs more than Red Bull, so what do we do?
“Do we restructure, do you stay in Italy? Do you move the team partially to England or maybe even completely? Do you sell the whole thing?
“These were the considerations, when a new management comes in, you go through every possibility.
“We need a second team, simple as that.
“Especially also for the [Red Bull Powertrains] engines, it has to work. We have very good people here, the best.
“But we also have to prove in practice that things are under control.”
One consideration that has been discussed is changing the Italians name for the third time, with it having been changed from Toro Rosso to AlphaTauri in 2020.
Marko has revealed that changing the team’s name is a possibility in a bid to make more money, with AlphaTauri clothing only being sold in “three to four countries” that the championship visits.
“It is something we are reconsidering,” Marko revealed.
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“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.
“It is about three to four countries only.
“The task is simple. More money must be brought in and results improved.”