The summer break has just begun and as usual various rumors have started to spread which do not only concern the pilots market but also sponsorship agreements, and development plans for the next seasons. With 12 victories in 12 races it can be said that the Red Bull has comfortably dominated the first part of the season, and everyone is now certain that he will continue to do so. Although the updates have shuffled the cards a bit, especially in the fight between Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin and McLaren, no one has been able to attack Max Verstappen. However, if the Austrian team occupies the top part of the ranking, the same cannot be said of its Junior team, AlphaTauri.
Opposite poles
Red Bull has the most dominant car on the grid and has a 256-point lead over second-placed Mercedes. They won every race this season, setting a new F1 record for the most consecutive wins for a manufacturer. Furthermore, Max Verstappen could soon break the record for consecutive victories for a driver. The Dutchman has won the last eight races, while Sebastian Vettel holds the record with nine victories.
The work that the teams will have to do in this second part of the season will help create the basis on which to build the 2024 season. But this does not just concern the top teams. The latest entries, reported by David Croft, commentator of Sky Sports UK , they actually talk about a rather particular plan, which involves two teams: Red Bull and AlphaTauri.
An ever stronger bonde
The relationship between Red Bull and its junior team, AlphaTauri, has never really been questioned, despite rumors of an imminent removal of the Faenza team. The parties looked for a way for the two realities to coexist in the Circus, but did not opt for sale. From there a drastic change began. Laurent mekies was hired as Team Principal. Plus a new CEO arrived, Peter bayer and underlined the desire to strengthen relations with Red Bull. New developments are also expected from a sponsorship point of view. AlphaTauri should run with a name different in 2024.
The first part of the season for the Faenza team was not the best. The duo formed by De Vries and Tsunoda proved to be weak, so much so that it led the Red Bull leaders to remodel the line up. In the standings the only three points were brought by the Japanese driver. De Vries' debut was not judged positively and so the team moved to bring an experienced driver back on track, Daniel Ricciardo.
The plan for 2024
In the search for a way to save AlphaTauri, the solution would be found. A solution which, however, would put Red Bull and AlphaTauri in a rather awkward position, considering theirregularity of the thing. "There are several rumors circulating in the paddock that the Red Bull junior team will race this year's RB19 in 2024 – the words of David Croft – whatever name the team will adopt. It has already happened in the past, for example the Super Aguri raced with a one-year-old Honda."
However, the plan to give AlphaTauri some hope by equipping it with a faithful copy of the RB19 is not compatible with the regulations. This, in fact, does not allow the chassis and aerodynamics to be transferred. AlphaTauri could therefore end up like Racing Point in 2020. The team was penalized for bringing a copy of the 2019 Mercedes car onto the track. Certainly the closeness between Red Bull and AlphaTauri plays a key role but there are substantial differences between the there will necessarily have to be two cars. So, we won't see a real RB19 on track in 2024 but despite this there remains a lot of curiosity on the topic.
Statement source: FormulaPassion
