Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko has hinted at widespread change for AlphaTauri next season. The junior Red Bull outfit has disappointed so far this season, sitting bottom of F1's Constructors' standings with only two points, courtesy of Yuki Tsunoda. Whilst the Japanese driver's performances have improved upon his first two years behind the wheel for the team, rookie teammate Nyck de Vries has struggled to settle despite the hype surrounding his signature over the winter. The Formula E World Champion had entered the sport with a strong reputation, but numerous errors and a lack of pace compared to Tsunoda have left de Vries fighting for his place on the grid next season. In a remarkable revelation when speaking to the Inside Line podcast , when asked if he and Team Principal Christian Horner disagreed on matters, Marko said: "Not often, but sometimes we do. The last one... I would say de Vries. "Basically it's AlphaTauri, but we're a big family and we get opinions. He [Horner] was not a fan of De Vries. I would say at the moment it looks like he's [Horner] right." In a separate interview with Austrian outlet Kleinezeitung , Marko suggested change was on its way. "Yuki is having a very good season with unfortunate results and penalties, but the performance is right," insisted Marko. "With Nyck de Vries, however, we are not satisfied, we are also looking at that."
New name?
Long-term Team Principal Franz Tost will relinquish his role at the end of the season to take on retirement and will be replaced by Ferrari Racing Director Laurent Mekies and former FIA Secretary General Peter Bayer. AlphaTauri has long insisted it would create its own car using self-manufactured parts instead of exploiting F1 regulations to take on parts from Red Bull, though this is also set to change. "AlphaTauri will have two new leaders in 2024, Laurent Mekies and Peter Bayer," said Marko. "There will be new sponsors and a new name. The direction is clear: to follow Red Bull Racing as far as the regulations allow. Designing your own [car] is the wrong way to go."
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