Peter Bayer has been announced as the new director of Red Bull’s B team, currently AlphaTauri. Former F1 director within the FIA, he will have to lead AlphaTauri into a new era.
In addition to the arrival of Laurent Mekies to replace Franz Tost, a new name will be given to the team. AlphaTauri is the clothing brand of the Red Bull group. The initial goal was to create synergies between the high-fashion clothing brand and Formula 1.
The selection of the partner who will replace AlphaTauri in the name has therefore been made, announces Peter Bayer. « The discussions are going very well, unfortunately I can’t reveal what the name will be yet, » declared Bayer. « The shareholders have decided on the team’s identity, we will get a little closer to the Red Bull family. »
« It’s an exciting time to witness the birth of a Formula 1 team, it’s a unique experience, I’m very happy to live it. »
Rumors speak of a partnership with the perfumer and clothing brand Boss. However, Bayer’s recent remarks do not reinforce these rumors as Boss is not one of Red Bull’s sponsors in F1. Other Red Bull sponsors could therefore be offered the role of title sponsor for AlphaTauri in 2024. Tag Heuer is particularly thought of.
Take over at Tost
Franz Tost, who then held the positions of Director and stable director, will leave at the end of 2024. He will hand over the baton to Laurent Mékies in 2024 as a consultant, the non-competition clauses preventing Mékies from taking a position as quickly after his departure from Ferrari. Peter Bayer also congratulates the Austrian for his work with the stable so far.
« I think he’s a genius. »
« Franz is an incredible mentor, and he has so much experience that he will have advice to give in any situation and he has been extremely benevolent with me. » he explains. « I spent so much time with him that one day I told him ‘I hope I’m not bothering you by spending all this time with you’, and he replied ‘no, no, no, I want you and the team to succeed, and I want to make sure to pass on everything I know to you’. »
Train and take care of pilots
AlphaTauri, like Toro Rosso before it, has always been tasked by Red Bull and Helmut Marko to train the team’s young drivers to prepare them for the high level. Franz Tost therefore has a very important role in driver training and is heavily involved.
« He keeps telling me that we must ensure that the drivers are at the top of their form in terms of physical preparation. But we also have to make sure that when they move from Formula 2 to Formula 1, they receive a lot of support, they need a lot of preparation for this, whether it’s physically, mentally, in driving simulation, [it’s] very, very important. »
« Previous car tests are a very important element, so we must invest in them, otherwise they could end up in Formula 1 and that could be very difficult for them. » he concludes.
