01 March 2023 , 15:33
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Franz Tost has had his say on recent rumours suggesting Red Bull are considering selling their sister outfit due to a lack of return on its investment.
Speculation has arisen on the eve of the 2023 Formula 1 season, with a report in Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claiming the move was being considered after a lack of results. A Red Bull spokesperson recently told Mirror Sport that was not the case, however, and there were "no plans" to offload the Italy-based team.
Tost, 67, has served as the team's chief since it made its debut on the grid as Toro Rosso back in 2006, having undergone a rebrand for the 2020 season. And the Austrian gave a firm response when commenting on the matter of an alleged sale, assuring Red Bull remained committed to ensuring the team has a future in F1.
"I had some very good meetings with Oliver Mintzlaff, who confirmed that the shareholders will not sell Scuderia AlphaTauri, and that Red Bull will continue supporting the team in the future," said Tost. "All these rumours have no foundation, and the team has to remain focused for the start of the season to perform better than last year.”
Only Williams (eight) accumulated fewer points than AlphaTauri (35) in last season's championship as driver duo Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda failed to gain much traction. That led to Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko hinting changes could be in the pipeline, though he stopped short of going into the specifics.
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AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost has shot down rumours suggesting the outfit will be sold by Red Bull (Getty Images)Marko—who is also in charge of Red Bull's young driver programme—noted the manufacturer's results were "not satisfactory" and the ninth-place finish was "not acceptable." When asked about the recent sale rumours, the 79-year-old clarified 'any decision is entirely up to the shareholders.'
Change has already been made in time for the new season after 2021 Formula E champion Nyck de Vries replaced Gasly in the driver line-up. The Dutchman will make his F1 debut in Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix in the hopes of imbuing his new team with some winning form.
Nyck de Vries is very experienced for an F1 rookie (Getty Images)Tsunoda, 22, impressed at points last year and is considered a promising prospect for the sport, though his five retirements in the space of 12 races inevitably raised concerns. Part of that was down to performance issues from last year's AT03 design, with higher hopes for the AT04 in the months to come.
The Japanese talent—who was the first driver born in the 21st century to make an F1 start—recorded the sixth-fastest test time in Bahrain's pre-season. De Vries, on the other hand, displayed some growing pains despite completing 246 laps at Sakhir, but the pressure is on for the pair to produce with the future of their employers purportedly at stake.