F1 News: AlphaTauri Chief Speaks Out On Rebrand Direction - "Get More Money Out Of It"

AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost has spoken out on the team's rebrand.

Franz Tost, the current principal of struggling Formula 1 squad AlphaTauri, has acknowledged the recent news that the brand AlphaTauri will not be on the grid from 2024 as the team goes under a rebrand. However, a return to their former name, Toro Rosso, seems unlikely despite calls from fans to return to the name. 

As Tost plans for retirement at the end of this season, he revealed that negotiations are currently underway with potential sponsors to boost the team's competitiveness and financial standing. 

He stated:

“First of all, at this period of the year, all the teams negotiate with sponsors. And, of course, we have negotiations and the title sponsor is a very attractive one and we will see then what the negotiations will bring in the next months – but currently, we are talking to different companies fortunately.

“There is a big interest in Scuderia AlphaTauri, but nothing is confirmed, nothing is signed so far, and this will also not happen in the next few days. I think this will take a few months until everything has been fixed and then, of course, you all will be informed immediately!

Despite the ongoing discussions, Tost made it clear that no deals have been officially inked yet and details will remain confidential for now. He expressed skepticism about the return of the Toro Rosso brand, indicating that other options could be more lucrative: 

“I don’t think so. I think there’s another possibility to get more money out of it.”

Yuki Tsunoda welcomed the prospective changes and humorously proposed ‘Team Yuki’ as a future name for the squad. Along with the potential rebranding and sponsorships, part of the team's operations are due to move to the UK to strengthen ties with Red Bull and align the two teams more closely.