Scuderia AlphaTauri’s AT04 F1 Car Receives Major Upgrades Ahead of Singapore Grand Prix
The Italian Team's Strategic Shift and Collaboration with Red Bull Racing Promise Exciting Changes in Performance and Leadership
Scuderia AlphaTauri, the Italian racing outfit, is poised for a remarkable transformation just ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. This shift in strategy aims to catapult the team from the bottom of the championship standings, and it involves a more profound collaboration with its senior counterpart, Red Bull Racing.
In the wake of the ground effect rules’ introduction in 2022, Formula 1 teams grappled with the intricacies of car development. This trend has persisted into the current season, with many teams ultimately abandoning their experimentation and instead adopting the proven route taken by Red Bull Racing to enhance their car’s performance. AlphaTauri has been quick to follow this path and is now set to receive substantial upgrades, akin to the components featured on Red Bull’s RB19 F1 car. As a result, fans can anticipate witnessing a significantly swifter AT04 this coming weekend.
However, the transformation extends beyond mere mechanical enhancements; it encompasses a management and identity overhaul as well. In 2024, Scuderia AlphaTauri will not only unveil a new moniker but also introduce a fresh team principal. The long-serving team boss, Franz Tost, is set to embark on his well-deserved retirement, passing the baton of leadership to the incoming team boss, Laurent Mekies, and CEO Peter Bayer.
Bayer has offered insights into AlphaTauri’s future plans, highlighting an intensified collaboration with Red Bull Racing, aimed at harnessing untapped resources while adhering to Formula 1 regulations. As stated by Bayer, this technical collaboration promises not only to bolster AlphaTauri’s standing but also to propel them closer to autonomy as a distinct entity within the sport.
“With the cost cap, and the technical regulations, you almost can’t be like a sister or brother team – you have to be a Formula 1 team.
“We need to grow through that process of growing up, going through adolescence, and start walking on our own feet. Obviously not in contradiction with getting support from our family, and I think that’s really what we’re also supposed to achieve. That’s what we want to achieve, we can still exploit the technical collaboration because we haven’t done that in the past.
“It’s well known by now, but, if you think about the importance of the suspension nowadays, and that we’re not using the suspension – which we are allowed to use – it simply was a mistake.”
To elucidate further, Bayer commented, “As pointed out by Bayer, a technical collaboration would not only recharge AlphaTauri’s status but, it would also take them one step closer to being more independent as a separate team.”
