'Likely F1 will ban Red Bull-AlphaTauri construction'

'Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri strengthen partnership'

AlphaTauri, as a subsidiary of Red Bull, has served as an entry-level team for Red Bull juniors. In previous years, AlphaTauri benefited from Red Bull's position at the forefront of F1. In the past two years, AlphaTauri's role as Red Bull's second team has been discredited several times. Initially, for instance, the team was actually supposed to want to become more independent, and the team would possibly be sold, but it has actually been decided that the partnership will become even closer.

F1 journalist Saward writes in his blog, The Green Notebook two striking things. First, Red Bull and AlphaTauri are said to be working even more closely together, as a UK headquarters for AlphaTauri is being built next to the Red Bull campus site in Milton Keynes. Secondly, Saward reports that it is likely that the 2030 Concorde Agreement will include a ban on such constructions as those of Red Bull and AlphaTauri.

Saward begins the story with the construction of Red Bull's wind tunnel. After the Qatar GP, it became clear that the building application for that wind tunnel had been withdrawn. As it turned out, Red Bull had found another, better site next to its design office. The initial construction site is still owned by Red Bull and according to the journalist, the new British headquarters of AlphaTauri will be built on that site.

Formula 1 wants to ban Red Bull construction in 2030

The UK operations of the AlphaTauri team, which will continue under a new name next year, are currently still run from Bicester, 30 kilometres away. Saward clearly sees a tightening of cooperation between the two teams here and says this means both teams can easily use the same new wind tunnel.

Saward does caution, though: "It is likely that in the medium term the commercial agreements will eventually be tweaked to stop a single entity from owning two F1 teams and that the technical rules will also be changed to redefine the term “constructor” to include the requirement to manufacture more parts of the car, which will mean that teams will no longer be able to buy as much as is currently the case from a rival.”

According to the Brit, these rules will be included in the 2030 Concorde Agreement between Formula 1 and the teams. The aim is to make the 10 teams more autonomous and stronger. That these rules do not come into effect until 2030 gives the teams enough room to make the necessary investments in advance. AlphaTauri and Red Bull may have to reconsider their plans if the construction is no longer allowed from 2030.