Yahoo Autos Red Bull May Sell AlphaTauri Formula 1 Team
According to a new report by Auto Motor und Sport, Red Bull is now considering either moving its Scuderia AlphaTauri junior team to England or selling it to one of the many operations interested in joining Formula 1 by way of expansion in the near future. The cost is a result of new oversight from recently-appointed Red Bull sports executive Oliver Mintzlaff, who is bringing the team under scrutiny due to its questionable business model.
The AlphaTauri team, formerly a junior team for Red Bull itself under the name Scuderia Toro Rosso, now claims to be a standalone program. It is based out of Italy, but aerodynamic work is still done in England. That combines with the team's relatively paltry prize money returns in the constructor's standings, the struggles of the AlphaTauri fashion brand that the team is named after, and Red Bull Racing's move away from a focus on driver development since finding its star of the future in two-time world champion Max Verstappen. All these elements make AlphaTauri a less viable business than ever before, all while three groups are separately seeking entry into Formula 1 as an expansion program.
Red Bull is reportedly considering moving the team to England, where it would align better logistically with the other eight Formula 1 teams in the country and its own aerodynamics work. That could be a short-term solution, but the team would still be relatively pointless for a Red Bull program clearly intent on winning championships with its senior program first and foremost.
The other option is to sell the operation entirely. Unsurprisingly, the bidders in that market would be the three previously-announced expansion candidates seeking to join F1 as new teams: Andretti Cadillac, Hitech Grand Prix, and the Mumbai Falcons Race Team. Hitech, which formerly received significant funding from Nikita Mazepin's father Dmitry, has a history working with Red Bull's junior team and is seen by AMuS as the favorite to acquire the program.
Separately, Australia's Speedcafe reports that General Motors may be willing to work with other teams if Andretti is not accepted onto the grid in the upcoming expansion vetting process set to take place throughout the year. Andretti will be waiting for months on an answer about expansion and could be asked to bring $600 million in an increased "dilution fee" to join the grid; with the expected selling price of AlphaTauri quoted at $700 million by AMuS, either pathway into Formula 1 will be very expensive.
With so many interested parties on the market and simplified engine regulations coming in 2026, expect discussions of expansions and acquisitions to dominate the Formula 1 rumor market throughout 2023. Until then, AlphaTauri will continue in Formula 1 as its own team. The program will run third-year development driver Yuki Tsunoda and rookie Nyck de Vries this season.
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