AlphaTauri has been and will be at the center of several items and operations during 2023, important changes that will lead it to have a different structure starting next year.
Earlier today, the Faenza-based team announced that Franz Tost, team principal of Toro Rosso first and then AlphaTauri, will leave his role at the end of 2023, ending a 17-year period at the head of Red Bull’s B team . He will be replaced by Laurent Mekies from Ferrari, who in recent years has been Sporting Director of the Prancing Horse team. However, Tost will remain in the team as a consultant also in the 2024 season.
“First of all, I would like to thank Dietrich Mateschitz, who has given me the incredible opportunity to be Team Principal of Scuderia Toro Rosso and Scuderia AlphaTauri for the past 18 years,” said Franz Tost. “It has been a real privilege to lead the Scuderia for such a long period and a great pleasure to work with so many motivated and competent people who share my passion for Formula 1.”
“At 67, the time has come to hand over and with Peter as the new CEO and Laurent as Team Principal, we have found two very professional individuals, who will take the Team to the next level. I want to thank everyone for the great partnership.”
Franz Tost, Team Principal, Scuderia AlphaTauri
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Mekies will therefore become the new team principal of AlphaTauri. Still to be defined as to when he will be able to take Tost’s place, but in all probability he will do so from the beginning of 2024. The former FIA Peter Bayer also arrives in AlphaTauri together with Mekies as Chief Executive Officer. This is a very important reorganization of the top management of the team, which will change the face of the Faenza team after a couple of less satisfactory seasons than initially forecast.
These are instead the first words of Laurent Mekies as future team principal of AlphaTauri: “First of all, I would like to pay tribute to Franz for the great work he has done in almost two decades of presidency in Faenza. I wish him all the best for the future and I know that Peter and I will be able to count on his input and advice in the times to come. Looking to the future, I am honored to take on the role of Team Principal and return to the Scuderia where I spent most of my career. Scuderia AlphaTauri has all the necessary ingredients for greater success in the future and, together with Peter, I look forward to that.”
Peter Bayer, future Chief Executive Officer of AlphaTauri, also spoke his first words as a newcomer to AlphaTauri: “I would also like to thank Franz for his dedication to Scuderia AlphaTauri and its predecessor, Scuderia Toro Rosso. His commitment to development of young talent has resulted in a Formula 1 grid in which 25% of the drivers have benefited from his driving.It is also a great privilege for me to take on the role of CEO of the Scuderia and work alongside Laurent.Scuderia AlphaTauri has a fantastic team of people and great infrastructure in Faenza and the UK I look forward to building on these key elements to boost performance, both on and off the track, and to lead the Scuderia to even more success in the coming weeks years”.
Peter Bayer, former FIA General Secretary for Motorsport and future Chief Executive Officer of AlphaTauri
Photo by: Andrew Hone / Motorsport Images
Franz Tost has been the team principal of the Italian-Austrian team since 2006, when the Faenza-based team was in its first year under the new name that replaced Minardi. In 2020 he became team principal of Scuderia AlphaTauri, with the team changing its name from Toro Rosso to using that of the fashion brand launched by Red Bull.
As team principal of Toro Rosso and AlphaTauri, Franz Tost took away the satisfaction of winning two Grands Prix. The first in 2008, at the Monza racetrack, home of the Italian Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel seized the success, which was followed in the following years by many other victories and the conquest of 4 world titles, but at the wheel of single-seaters made by Red Bull Racing.
The second success, however, came many years later. To be precise in 2020, when Pierre Gasly brought home the victory at the Italian Grand Prix – again in Monza, an evidently lucky track – in a crazy race.
In terms of results and points, the most satisfying season was 2021. Thanks to the podium obtained at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku and an excellent series of placings signed by Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda, the team from Faenza managed to close the season in sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, racking up 142 points overall.
Before taking on the role of team principal of Toro Rosso and AlphaTauri, the Austrian born in Trins, born in 1956, competed in Formula Ford and Formula 3 as a young man before hanging up his helmet to study Sports Science and Management. In 1993 he joined Willi Weber Management, overseeing the career of Ralf Schumacher also at BMW, an engine supplier to the Williams team since 2000.
“Firstly, I would like to thank Franz Tost for his hard work at Scuderia AlphaTauri and Scuderia Toro Rosso over the past 18 years,” added Oliver Mintzlaff, Chief Executive of Corporate Projects and Investments at Red Bull GmbH. “Throughout his time in the team, Franz was guided by a single vision: the pursuit of ever higher performance by the car and the driver.”
“His leadership has led to outstanding victories and the development of some of the best talent ever seen in Formula 1. Replacing him has not been easy and has involved a redefinition of the team’s management structure. I am therefore very pleased to welcome Peter Bayer as CEO and to Laurent Mekies as Team Principal. Both have a wealth of experience in top positions in Formula 1 and together I am sure they will take Scuderia AlphaTauri to even greater heights in the future.”
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