Yuki Tsunoda believes that AlphaTauri’s closer technical alliance with Red Bull should’ve been put into practice three years ago.
Earlier this week, Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko announced that AlphaTauri would follow the design of Red Bull’s car as closely as the regulations allow in 2024.
AlphaTauri has been operating more independently over the last handful of years compared to its first seasons in F1.
But now it is set to backtrack to relying on Red Bull for its design direction – however, it will have to navigate the situation carefully as teams are unable to directly share data with one another.
AlphaTauri has been slipping down the pecking order over the last handful of years and it currently sits at the bottom of the 2023 Constructors’ Championship.
When asked if he believes the technical alliance between Red Bull and AlphaTauri will benefit the latter long-term, Tsunoda said: “Definitely.
“Especially as [from] a performance side that we saw in the last two years, [we were] not really in the place that we wanted, especially from last year.
“I think, well probably Helmut thought that we need to change something, because we want, and I think he did give us a chance, one more year, and it didn’t improve much.
“I think it’s a good thing anyway, having a lot more connection between Red Bull and AlphaTauri.
“Probably it should be like that from three years ago, but anyway. I think I’m feeling optimistic.
“I think [there will be] lots of stronger connection between Red Bull, so it should be better overall.”
Marko also revealed that the team would no longer be named AlphaTauri in 2024, as it will be rebranded for the second time in four years.
While Tsunoda says that the news of the closer Red Bull relationship was not new information for him, he stated he was surprised to hear that the team will undergo another name change.
“As a name, I don’t know what it’s going to be. I just saw in the news, that was the first time I saw it’s going to change,” he said. “But anyway, it won’t affect me much I guess. We’ll see how it goes.
“I knew that a lot more connection, would be stronger connection between Red Bull and AlphaTauri, and it will be a lot of change before they actually announce it in the news.’
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