Any potential sale of AlphaTauri would be “up to Red Bull shareholders” to decide, motorsport advisor Helmut Marko claims.
Speculation of a sale began last weekend after Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reported a review by Red Bull’s new hierarchy found operating a second Formula 1 team was no longer cost-effective.
In fact, the Austrian brand spends more on AlphaTauri than on the championship-winning Red Bull team because of the income and revenue it generates.
As a result, AMuS states Red Bull could consider two routes, either shifting AlphaTauri’s base to England or selling the team.
“In general, we don’t comment on rumours,” Marko told Sky Germany when asked about the report.
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“It’s understandable that AlphaTauri can’t be satisfied with what it achieved last year – ninth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
“But such a decision is entirely up to the shareholders – these are rumours that we do not comment on in detail.
“You think about how you can increase efficiency. If you have a team that wins the World Championship and the other one is only around ninth place, the synergies don’t seem to work properly.
“The overall result is not satisfactory. As proper business people, our shareholders will make the right decision.”
Since buying the former Minardi team in 2006, AlphaTauri, or Toro Rosso as it was originally called, has been used as a developmental ground for young drivers in Red Bull’s academy.
However, while it has been responsible for nurturing multiple talents over the years, Marko denies a second Red Bull-owned F1 team is essential.
“It is part of our philosophy,” he conceded. “[Sebastian] Vettel and [Max] Verstappen all came to us through AlphaTauri, but if the team doesn’t perform properly, it doesn’t help.”
If AlphaTauri is sold, Auto Motor und Sport claims three parties are interested in buying, most notably Andretti, who are working on their own entry potentially from 2025 but have not ruled own buying a current team either.