Peter Bayer will become the Executive Director of the AlphaTauri team
The former leader of the FIA will join AlphaTauri as part of a major reorganization of the management team, following a disappointing start to the 2023 season. Franz Tost's position has been divided in two. On one side, the management of the AlphaTauri company, and on the other, the management of the racing team.
After 18 years of service to Scuderia AlphaTauri, formerly known as Toro Rosso, Franz Tost has decided that it was time to step down. At 67 years old, he will be replaced by Laurent Mekies as team principal, with the official date to be announced later, announced the team.
The current sporting director of Scuderia Ferrari, however, will not arrive alone. Peter Bayer will join him within the team based in Faenza. He will take on the role of executive director of Scuderia AlphaTauri S.P.A and will be in charge of managing the company.
The management role of the team will therefore always be handled by Franz Tost this season, until the arrival of Mekies in 2024.
Secretary General of the FIA for 5 years
Bayer will arrive at AlphaTauri as CEO, after spending five years as the Secretary General of the FIA for Sport, where the Austrian was involved in the development of the F1 regulations for 2022 and the power unit regulations that will be introduced in 2026.
In 2021, he was appointed Executive Director of Formula 1 and was tasked with overseeing the investigation into the controversial events of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021, when the former FIA Race Director, Michael Masi, selectively implemented two articles of the sporting regulations.
He was then replaced by Sheila-Ann Rao in the middle of the year 2022, who subsequently left the FIA at the end of November as acting Secretary General for Sport.
In a press release from AlphaTauri, Peter Bayer thanks Tost for his dedication to his team and for his commitment to developing young talents, which has led to the formation of a Formula 1 grid where 25% of the drivers have benefited from his guidance.
Furthermore, he continues: “It is also a great privilege for me to take on the role of CEO within the team and to work alongside Laurent. Scuderia AlphaTauri has a fantastic team and excellent infrastructure in Faenza and the United Kingdom. I am very excited to build upon these key elements to improve performance, both on and off the track, and bring even more success to the team in the years to come.”
