Marko upgrades AlphaTauri from junior to sister bull team

According to Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko, more than a name change has taken place recently at Scuderia AlphaTauri.

The former Toro Rosso-named squad rolled out its new identity on Friday, with an energized and glitzy presentation at Red Bull's famous Hanger-7 at Salzburg Airport.

But beyond the change in branding and aesthetics, the Italian outfit has also upgraded its collaboration with 'A' team Red Bull Racing, a shift in dynamic that has intensified the technology transfer from Milton Keynes to Faenza.

• Tost wants AlphaTauri to fight for spot among top 5!

"There has been a change and an upgrade from a junior team to a sister team," Marko told Motorsport-Magazin at the AlphaTauri launch.

"Everything that is permitted and as far as our capacities are sufficient is provided to AlphaTauri."

However, the sister team managed by Franz Tost won't be the immediate recipient of RBR's ongoing development this season.

"There will of course be a time lag," added Marko. "Because with the pace of development that Red Bull Racing has, we are more than challenged ourselves, especially in this early phase of the season.

"The delay will be between three and six months. An evolution that takes place at Red Bull can only be incorporated [at AlphaTauri] by the middle of the season at the earliest, if at all."

The Honda-powered AlphaTauri AT01 has received its complete rear suspension and gearbox from Red Bull's 2019 car.

But components such as the RB16's front nose and new front suspension are unlikely to find their way onto the AT01 because of the difficulty in adapting the elements to the car

"We’ve had to adapt the 2019 Red Bull rear end into our chassis package but that’s part of the game each year, whether it’s a new part or something you’re inheriting from another team," explained AlphaTauri tech boss Jody Egginton who detailed the parts and specs received from Red Bull.

"It’s a small detail but the gearbox has actually had to be re-homologated because of changes made on PU packaging, but to all intents and purposes it’s the same.

"The inboard front suspension and uprights are also from last year’s Red Bull, while the suspension members and associated brackets are AlphaTauri Designed & Manufactured.

"The hydraulics and other parts related to that also come from Red Bull. One small change to the regulations for 2020 concerns brake ducts: the brake ducts front and rear are now classi-fied as listed parts, so these are AlphaTauri-designed and manufactured parts for 2020."

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