[Beano]

Not one to sit in the past. Or Torro Rosso as they were once known!

I said yesterday this guy would be pushed by Honda, I think Kyvat may  be on his way in the future! 

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/tsuno...t/4864736/

When Honda supply your engines I guess they’ll get a big say in the matter 

[PapaofGags]

Nyck de Vries has joined AlphaTauri to replace Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly.

De Vries, who won the Formula E world championship in the 2020-21 season, replaces Gasly in the team after the Frenchman was announced as an Alpine driver just moments prior on Saturday morning.

“I’m extremely excited to be joining Scuderia AlphaTauri for 2023 and I want to thank both Red Bull and the team for giving me the opportunity to drive in F1," said De Vries.

"After Formula 2, I took a slightly different path with motorsport, but F1 has always been my dream and I’m grateful to be able to fulfil it."

Reflecting on his outings so far this season, De Vries added: "I’ve had a lot of chances to experience the 2022 car this year and I think that has put me in a great position for the upcoming season, I hope this has helped to prepare me for what is to come.

"Having spent most of my teenage years in Italy for karting, I’ve always felt at home there, so for me, it’s great to be joining an Italian team, that already has a real family feel, and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and to start to build our relationship before the next season.”

[PapaofGags]

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko says any decision about a future sale of its AlphaTauri Formula 1 team would be down to the company’s shareholders.

A report in German publication Auto Motor Und Sport on Saturday suggested that AlphaTauri’s future was up in the air on the back of its disappointing results last year.

As Red Bull itself dominated both F1 championships, AlphaTauri endured some frustrations with its car and ended up ninth in the standings - leading to a big drop in commercial rights income.

The AMuS story claimed that Red Bull was evaluating whether costs could be dramatically cut by moving AlphaTauri to the United Kingdom. If such a move were not possible, then the squad could be put up for sale.

Speaking to Sky Germany about the story on Saturday night, Marko declined to comment specifically on the matter.

However, he was clear that Red Bull could not be satisfied with having one of its teams performing so badly in F1.

“In general, we don't comment on rumours,” he said. “It's understandable that AlphaTauri can't be satisfied with what it achieved last year - ninth place in the constructors' championship. But such a decision is entirely up to the shareholders. These are rumours that we do not comment on in detail.”

[forzaferrari]

   

[forzaferrari]

Just been reading Franz Tost is to step down as AlphaTauri team principal at the end of 2023.

[NeilP]

Just been reading Franz Tost is to step down as AlphaTauri team principal at the end of 2023.

That is sad, immense respect for what he achieved in his time at Toro Rosso!!!!  He was a no BS kind of guy which is how I prefer it. Pretty boring and non-committal during interviews but he kept it real as they say in modern parlance.

That is a big seat to fill. Good luck Franz

[PapaofGags]

AlphaTauri will appoint Laurent Mekies as the new team principal to replace Franz Tost, it was announced on Wednesday.

The Italian F1 outfit is implementing a new management structure which will see the current Ferrari deputy installed as team principal and Peter Bayer as CEO, who joins from his role as an F1 executive director with the FIA.

Mekies' date for joining AlphaTauri is still to be confirmed but Tost will stand down at the end of the 2023 season after 18 years in the post with Red Bull's sister F1 team, which was originally known as Toro Rosso before being renamed three years ago.

Frenchman Mekies returns to the Faenza-based team where he previously worked as chief engineer before leaving to join the FIA in 2014, where he worked as safety director and F1 deputy race director prior to undertaking the sporting director role at Ferrari in 2018, and more latterly that of deputy team principal.

"I am honoured to take on the role of Team Principal and to return to the team where I spent a large portion of my early career," said Mekies.

[PapaofGags]

Daniel Ricciardo’s AlphaTauri seat fit piles more pressure on Nyck de Vries.

Having initially been told he would not be a reserve driver for AlphaTauri, Daniel Ricciardo was reportedly in Faenza for a seat fit of the AT04.

Red Bull after all are a team known for being ruthless when it comes to sacking or demoting drivers if their performances are not up to scratch.

And De Vries will take little comfort from a report from the Italian edition of Motorsport.com claiming that Ricciardo was at the AlphaTauri base in Faenza, Italy recently for a seat fit of the AT04.

A potential outing for Ricciardo in the AlphaTauri would go against what outgoing team boss Franz Tost suggested early in the season, though.

The Austrian said that while “theoretically” he could call on Ricciardo’s services, he would prefer a young driver to be given a chance instead.

“Theoretically yes,” he said to media including PlanetF1.com when asked if Ricciardo could be an AlphaTauri substitute this season, “practically, I don’t hope so because there are young drivers like Liam Lawson, like [Dennis] Hauger.

“I think we will primarily be focused on the young drivers because that’s within our capacity.”

But Ricciardo’s recent seat fit would suggest there has been a change in mindset as the Australian looks to get back on the grid from 2024.

Motorsport.com also claim that head of Red Bull’s driver development programme Helmut Marko has issued an ultimatum to De Vries: produce better results by the end of the Spanish Grand Prix or prepare to be replaced.

[PapaofGags]

AlphaTauri will be renamed for the 2024 season, Helmut Marko has confirmed, with the junior team to 'follow Red Bull Racing as far as the regulations allow'

Currently, AlphaTauri operate independently, but their slide down the standings marks a stark contrast to the years they spent holding their own in the midfield.

Unsurprisingly, Marko has spoken openly about his displeasure with their struggles and revealed that sweeping changes will be made across the board.

"AlphaTauri will have two new leaders in 2024, Laurent Mekies and Peter Bayer. There will be new sponsors and a new name," Marko told Kleine Zeitung.

"The orientation is clear: follow Red Bull Racing as far as the regulations allow. Own designs are the wrong way to go."

Specific details on other tweaks at AlphaTauri have not been confirmed but, based on this year's form, there may also be a change in the driver's line-up.

Asked whether Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries are in the team's plans for next year, Marko was non-committal.


Suspicious me thinks by copying Red Bull & increasing performance (obviously this could also help them tactically)
they put up the value ready to sell them off at a higher price, if the rumours of them being willing to sell are true.

[PapaofGags]

De Vries: Red Bull stole Hamilton’s title.

Speaking to the Italian media, the Dutchman reserved some harsh judgement for the Red Bull hierarchy which just dropped him.

He said that the move “totally caught him off guard.", and that he was “not surprised by the way things unfolded."

According to Kurier.at, he also made a claim that he had been promised the second Red Bull seat for 2025 alongside Max Verstappen after signing a multi-year deal.

In a sour twist, after comments about how the ordeal unfolded, De Vries went on to say that Red Bull had “stolen Lewis Hamilton's eighth title back then [in 2021].”