Red Bull is reportedly considering a sale of its AlphaTauri F1 team, a move warranted by the Faenza-based squad's lack of results and marketing value that no longer justify the costs.
A report from Germany's Auto Motor und Sport contends that Red Bull's new top brass has conducted a review of its marketing and commercial investments, a study led by Oliver Mintzlaff, the company's recently appointed CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments.
Along with Franz Watzlawick, who oversees Red Bull's core beverage business, and CFO Alexander Kirchmayr, Mintzlaff is part of Red Bull's new three-pronged management that was put in place last November following the passing of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz.
Since, the winds of change have been blowing at Fuschl am See, and Formula 1 is now under scrutiny.
©AlphaTauri
While championship winning outfit Red Bull Racing is not expected to be impacted by management's potential decisions, AlphaTauri is no longer a cost-effective investment for the company.
Given Red Bull Racing's income as a race winning outfit, Red Bull's sister outfit actually costs more to operate. Furthermore, Red Bull's AlphaTauri fashion brand that was launched in 2020 has not proven to be as successful as projected.
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According to AMuS, Red Bull is considering two solutions for AlphaTauri: an outright sale of the team, with three candidates currently showing an interest in acquiring the outfit, and a relocation of AlphaTauri to the UK.
The latter would allow for more synergies with Red Bull Racing which would automatically lower the costs of operating AlphaTauri.
AMuS' reporting reveals the three names that have filed an expression of interest with the FIA for entering F1 that have also shown an interest in acquiring AlphaTauri: Andretti Global, Hitech GP and Mumbai Racing.
Andretti Global's efforts to gain an entry into F1 are well chronicled, and AlphaTauri could represent a cheaper and opportunity for the American outfit to finally join the fray.
An Indian billionaire – the owner of the Mumbai Falcons Racing Team that competes in Formula Regional Middle East and Formula 3 Asia - is reportedly behind Mumbai Racing's bid to join the grid.
But Oliver Oakes' Hitech GP team may have the upper hand over its rivals as the outfit already has a strong connection to Red Bull as it has run the latter's junior drivers – including Liam Lawson - in the past.
Hitech GP was previously funded in part by Russian billionaire Dmitry Mazepin, but the latter has left the paddock following the war in Ukraine.
But Hitech could source its funding for Formula 1 from Dubai according to AMuS.
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