AlphaTauri will undergo another name change as part of wide-reaching alterations at Red Bull's sister Formula 1 team, Helmut Marko has revealed.
The Faenza-based team has only operated under its current guise since 2020. Before that, it was branded as Toro Rosso as a more obvious sister team to Red Bull.
Under the AlphaTauri name, the team has operated more independently than before. It has, however, very much remained closely aligned to the defending champions behind the scenes.
Changes are already under way at Faenza. Long-serving team principal Franz Tost will leave that role at the end of the season and will be replaced by Laurent Mekies, assuming the current stand-off with Ferrari over his future is resolved.
And the Frenchman isn't the only planned new addition to the team's senior leadership. Peter Bayer, a former FIA executive, is also set to join as chief executive officer.
Those changes were announced towards the end of April after a leak sped up that process. And Red Bull adviser Marko has let slip further details about some of the other changes planned at Faenza at the end of the current season.
"AlphaTauri will have two new leaders in 2024, Laurent Mekies and Peter Bayer," he told Kleine Zeitung, before adding: "There will be new sponsors and a new name."
The Austrian also suggested heavily that those planned changes are intended to bring the team back into closer alignment with its sister outfit. He added: "The orientation is clear – follow Red Bull Racing as far as the regulations allow. Do-it-yourself designs are the wrong way."
It remains to be seen how AlphaTauri's current drivers will be affected by such sweeping changes. But, judging by Marko's comments on the matter, Yuki Tsunoda has little to worry about while the future of Nyck de Vries remains in doubt.
He said: "Basically, Yuki is having a very good season with unfortunate results and penalties, but the performance is right. With Nyck de Vries, however, we are not satisfied, we are looking at that as well."
