At the back of the Formula 1 field, AlphaTauri is currently the team of the moment. With updates in Singapore and Austin as well as changes to the set-up, the Italian team has managed to turn things around after a disappointing first half of the season. With 16 points from the last three races, they have not only been able to pass on the red lantern in the team championship to Haas, but they are now in eighth place with just seven points behind Williams.
In addition to the updates, Daniel Ricciardo is also one of the factors for the AlphaTauri upswing, as the Australian was able to use his experience to provide crucial information on the set-up direction and was also able to contribute a lot in terms of points with his seventh place in Mexico. The 34-year-old also notes that he feels a mind shift in the team from Faenza, which is now more than just a pure Red Bull junior team.
“I feel a change in the team,” he says. “And even though I’ve only been here halfway through the season, I feel like they want to break away from that kind of junior team a little bit. I think they want to start showing themselves a little bit more.”
“There’s definitely an element of, ‘Yeah, let’s step up.’ Apparently there are a lot of new people coming next year, including both of us, Yuki [Tsunoda] and I even scored a few points over the last few weekends. I think the team needed something, a little more self-confidence and a little faith. So I expect that to continue next year.”
Cost-effectiveness new priority number 1?
In the past, the purpose of AlphaTauri, or under the old name Toro Rosso, was simply to train potential Red Bull drivers, but the focus was not so much on economic efficiency. While training new drivers is still important for the team and for Red Bull, the element of economics now plays a greater role.
In 2022, despite the booming Formula 1, the Red Bull Group had to invest an additional 50 million euros in the AlphaTauri team so that the Faenza location does not make any losses. However, since the death of Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, the new management led by Oliver Mintzlaff is keen for AlphaTauri to be able to operate without subsidies from Red Bull.
One piece of the puzzle – in addition to the closer cooperation with the Red Bull team planned in the future – was the signing of Daniel Ricciardo as a replacement for the failed Nyck de Vries. Not only can the Australian’s experience and speed ensure that AlphaTauri achieves better results on the track, but his personality also brings great marketing advantages and the opportunity to attract sponsors more easily.
Ricciardo highly motivated: “I’m training like crazy”
We are no longer talking about a team that is at the back of the field,” says Ricciardo about the team’s future. “I am confident that we can push it forward, and have even in the short time that I am here “I feel like the direction I took and what we were able to achieve in Mexico gave the team a little bit of a feeling that we can pursue that.”
“So yeah, it’s fun and I’m enjoying it. I’m in a really good mood and my winter break won’t be too long because I wasn’t there before. So I’m looking forward to maybe having a bit of time off, but I’m training like crazy and want to start the new season strong.”