Helmut Marko: Improvements needed at AlphaTauri F1 as neither performances nor finances meet “Red Bull’s standards”

Last month, there had been reports that AlphaTauri F1 team were potentially up for “sale”, or relocation to England. Their current model of operation was considered “inefficient”, and the sporting result in 2022 was also very disappointing. Their sister team, Red Bull, completely dominated the season. On the other hand, AlphaTauri only finished 9th in the Constructors’ championship. The management apparently believed that AlphaTauri did not hold enough value in its current state.

There is, of course, the question of cost. Currently, the team costs the management more money to run than Red Bull Racing does. Who also happen to make much more profit and deliver better results. AlphaTauri have been headquartered in Faenza, Italy since their inception. But the team utilizes the wind tunnel in Bedford, and the aerodynamic department is in Bicester – both of these places are in England. This is a large part of the supposed “inefficiency”.

There is at least some relief for them: A sale has been ruled out. But improvements are still needed. There’s the sporting situation to consider, but also the finances – neither of which, according to Helmut Marko, meet Red Bull’s standards. Speaking to Formel1.de, the Austrian said: “It’s true that AlphaTauri’s ninth place in the constructors’ championship is not what we expect.”

He added: “That means there has to be an improvement. It is also true that the financial commitment at AlphaTauri is too high, this means that we also have to do something on the sponsor side, on the revenue side. In the course of this process we also discussed the possibilities, but it was always very clear that AlphaTauri would remain in-house. That is an important part of our junior work.”

Read More: AlphaTauri F1 boss Franz Tost rubbishes rumors of the team being up for sale

Helmut Marko: Acceptable championship finish for AlphaTauri is P6 or P7

So while a sale has been ruled out, there are still problems at AlphaTauri – as mentioned above, their performance doesn’t fit the management’s standards. On this, Helmut Marko said: “As mentioned, neither sporting performance nor financial performance meet Red Bull’s standards, so we have to do something to change that.” An acceptable result, according to him, is around P6 or P7 in the Constructors’ championship. Last season, they were 9th.

The other option for AlphaTauri, reported in the media was “relocation”. But Marko deems it an “overinterpretation”. He said: “It’s obvious that we’re playing through various options, including England. AlphaTauri already has over 100 employees in England. It’s a split between Italy and England because it’s much easier to find employees in England. But the idea that the entire team will immediately move over there is also an overinterpretation.”

In last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, AlphaTauri drivers, Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries finished 11th and 14th. That’s not “bad”, of course, but on the other hand, the Red Bull drivers finished 1-2. If they want any hope of meeting the P6-P7 target set out by Marko, they need points soon. Another season like 2022 is definitely not an option.

In case you missed it:

• AlphaTauri F1 Team under scrutiny by Red Bull management as they consider ‘sale or relocation’ – Reports
• “He needs to step up a gear,” Helmut Marko shoots a stern warning to Nyck De Vries after timid Bahrain outing

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