AlphaTauri’s new name for the 2024 Formula 1 season is still unclear with only a little update appearing on the FIA’s entry list on Friday.
The team’s current name, Scuderia AlphaTauri RB, will take effect next year, but it could change before the F1 2024 campaign kicks off.
F1 teams routinely unveil their new title partners at pre-season car launches. However, occasionally teams also consent with the FIA to postpone disclosing a new name until such arrangements are finalized.
This season, AlphaTauri had a turbulent Formula 1 campaign, which started with the announcement of team boss Franz Tost’s retirement and concluding with Daniel Ricciardo replacing Nyck de Vries shortly before the summer break.
The decision to drop the AlphaTauri brand and compete under a new one for the 2024 season was a further major change that was made clear over the entire season. However, the name has not yet been confirmed with certainty, nor has the FIA’s entry list provided a clarification.
Hugo Boss and Adidas, two of the biggest clothing brands, were also strongly connected to naming rights agreements; however, Red Bull has chosen a name that will draw the Faenza-based team’s brand name a little bit closer to that of the parent team.
The AlphaTauri team’s chief executive Peter Bayer gave a firsthand account of the rebrand during the F1 2023 season, outlining Red Bull’s considerations for an overhaul for the coming season.
“AlphaTauri is a clothing brand, which is owned by Red Bull,” Bayer previously said. “They’re currently re-evaluating where they want to take the clothing brand, and how they strategically want to position it, which is why that whole discussion came about.”
Peter Bayer also confirmed that the team’s plans had already received approval from all relevant parties, including Red Bull’s executives.
“We have a new name for the team, a new identity for the team has been developed,” he said. “In fact, we had the final approval of the shareholders last week.
“We had a meeting in Thailand where we agreed on global strategies and topics. So we’re good to go. We have a completely new set of partners coming which is super exciting.
“We are also lucky, of course, that F1 is booming more than ever. In Vegas, you can feel and see the growth that F1 has gone through.
“So for us, it’s exciting news. The important and significant partnerships, they simply take time to discuss all the details but ballpark figures, everything is agreed.”
The squad which has now been listed as Scuderia AlphaTauri RB will be led by Ricciardo and teammate Yuki Tsunoda in 2024, which begs the issue of why the official new name has not yet been announced. In any case, Red Bull which is the parent company could possibly be referenced by the initials RB.
After spending most of the season at the bottom of the Championship standings, the AT04 car received upgrades at Singapore and Austin. The team went on to score points in five of the last eight races, closing the gap on Williams for P7.
In 2024, AlphaTauri and Red Bull intend to strengthen their ties through a partnership akin to that of Haas and Ferrari, which permits the American team to use as many Ferrari components as allowed by the sport’s regulations.
Franz Tost will step down as team principal and will be replaced by former sporting director at Ferrari Laurent Mekies for 2024.
