AlphaTauri Will Not Be Sold Says Franz Tost Amid Rumours Of Red Bull Dropping Team
Alphatauri team principal Franz Tost has put to rest all rumours surrounding the Italian racing team's potential sale. The statement confirms that the team will not be sold.
There have been talks of the team being sold, but Tost has dismissed these rumours. The Alphatauri team has been a mainstay of the Formula 1 grid since 2006, initially operating under the Toro Rosso name. Over the years, the team has undergone several changes, including a rebranding to AlphaTauri in 2020. Despite these changes, the team has remained competitive and is expected to continue to do so in the future.
According to GP Blog, Tost spoke to Red Bull co-CEO Oliver Mintzlaff and said the "shareholders will not sell Scuderia AlphaTauri". He explained:
"I had some very good meetings with [him], he confirmed that the shareholders will not sell Scuderia AlphaTauri, and that Red Bull will continue supporting the team in the future."
Addressing the recent rumours, Tost continued:
"All these rumours have no foundation, and the team has to remain focused for the start of the season to perform better than last year."
The recent reports indicated that AlphaTauri is facing financial pressures, prompting the team to take a closer look at their operations. The Italian racing team is facing cost pressures, as they are allocated significantly less from the Formula 1 budget than their Red Bull counterpart, with an estimated shortfall of around $100 million.
The current model, with the team headquarters based in Faenza, Italy, and the aerodynamics team located in Bicester, England, was reported to be inefficient.
AlphaTauri is heading into the 2023 season with a new driver line-up. Yuki Tsunoda will be joined by F1 rookie Nyck de Vries. De Vries proved his worth of a full-time seat on the grid when he stepped in for Alex Albon last minute at the Italian Grand Prix last year. The Dutch driver is a Formula E and Formula 2 champion so it anticipated to show great performance in his first season.