AlphaTauri is set to be renamed for the 2024 Formula 1 season as part of the team’s ongoing restructure under new Red Bull management, according to Helmut Marko.

  • Radioaktvt@lemmy.oneEnglish
    81·
    1 year ago

    Flat out mentions they want to maintain a junior team. Is this also another way to skirt around the “cost cap”? Alpha Tauri obviously hasn’t been competitive but I feel like this team allows RBR to trial both drivers and components they may not want to risk on their main team. If the plan is to move the main hub of operation to the UK who’s not to say they won’t be sharing basically everything?

    • TheCivilChemistEnglish
      6·
      1 year ago

      Yeah, I’ve never been convinced that Red Bull isn’t just using AlphaTauri/Toro Rosso as a full on development program for drivers, parts, aero, you name it. I’ve never understood why they are basically allowed to have two teams.

      • lemmein@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        1 year ago

        There is nothing to be convinced of. This has been common knowledge ever since they bought the team from Minardi. Or did you mean something else?

        • TheCivilChemistEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          I’m a relatively new fan, started seriously getting interested in 2017-2018. I guess what I mean is mainly in the second part of my comment. I don’t understand why it is allowed for them to have two teams, especially under the current budget cap system. It essentially gives RB twice the operating budget, wind tunnel time, etc. compared to the rest of the grid. Other than the obvious answer of “money”, why it is allowed, and why is it tolerated uncontested by the rest of the grid. If I were Ferrari, or Merc, I’d want there to be extreme scrutiny of operations for RB and TR/AT to ensure that they are operating and designing 100% independently.

          The “not convinced” part is more to say that I’m not convinced that AT doesn’t use some of it’s allotted wind tunnel time to test aero designs for RB. Sacrifice the performance of the junior team to benefit the parent team. When you say “this has been common knowledge…” do you mean that this kind of thing is happening, and everyone knows it? If so, I don’t understand the other teams on the grid not losing their collective minds over it.