F1 | AlphaTauri case: same owner for two similar cars

One of the first cases that could explode at the start of the 2024 world championship concerns AlphaTauri. Last year, Red Bull leaders drastically changed their mind on how to manage their second team in the Formula 1 world championship.

After seasons in which important investments were made at the Faenza headquarters in order to make the team as autonomous as possible, there has been a reverse. A radical change of vision, given that starting this year the family B team will enjoy greater support from the parent team.

The new planning is probably due to an about-face regarding the possibility (previously evaluated) of selling the team, which is why the Faenza structure had been expanded and updated in recent years. There was no shortage of purchase offers, but apparently none were in line with the owners' requests.

Confirmation of Red Bull's desire to move forward with the management of two teams came from the construction of a new factory in an area adjacent to the historic headquarters in Milton Keynes, originally intended to house the new wind tunnel.

The construction instead welcomed AlphaTauri, which has a larger area at its disposal than the old Bicester branch and is destined to accommodate a greater number of technicians (especially those involved in the design) some of whom will have to move from the headquarters in Faenza in England.

All eyes on the new AlphaTauri

On the 2024 AlphaTauri we will see more 'customer' components coming from Red Bull, and the proximity of the two teams (destined to share the new wind tunnel under construction within the Red Bull area) has made their opponents raise their antennas.

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Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing

As always happens in Formula 1, much will depend on the performance with which AlphaTauri presents itself at the start of the world championship, a film already seen in 2021 with the partnership between Racing Point and Mercedes. The alarm was raised anyway, and the first to come out was Zak Brown, calling the FIA ​​into question to monitor an affair that deserves maximum attention.

“I believe that reflection is needed to better evaluate what it means for a single owner to own two teams – explained the CEO of McLaren – I think it is a serious issue for the fairness of the sport and for all those who watch Formula 1, because This is a situation that is not allowed in any other top sport.”

“I would like us all to get together to focus on this issue before we end up in a situation we've seen before. From what I understand, AlphaTauri will be moving to the UK, which I think will benefit both teams. regulations in force (regarding cooperation between teams) were passed when we were in a different situation, there was a huge budget gap between the top teams and the rest of the group, but today this problem no longer exists, so it is better to avoid that a situation can give someone an unfair advantage, I think that's something we need to clarify quickly.”

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

James Allison, Mercedes-AMG technical director

Mercedes technical director, James Allison, was directly involved in the controversy three years ago regarding the Racing Point affair. Commenting on the current situation, AlphaTauri recalled how the intellectual property of technical components is a very clear passage of the regulation.
“The number of components and related data that a team can provide to another team is limited – he explained – in every other respect the rules are very strict regarding the passing of pieces or information considered to be the intellectual property of a team”.

In the case of Red Bull and AlphaTauri, despite being part of the same group that holds the two properties, the regulation imposes a clear division between the two teams. However, the matter seems destined to fuel controversy, and it is no coincidence that on the agenda of the topics that will be discussed in the next 'Concorde Agreement' there is also the prohibition on the part of an ownership to own more than one team.

Furthermore, the good financial situation enjoyed by all the Formula 1 teams today has allowed the possibility of redefining the role of 'manufacturer' to be brought back onto the agenda, with the aim of making all the teams independent on the technical front.

A design that would completely prohibit the passage of components between the teams, thus called upon to independently create the single-seater with which they take to the track. There are also rumors regarding the date on which the new regulation could come into force, indicated in 2030 to give the teams time to structure themselves with essential investments to become autonomous entities.