AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost believes Formula 1’s definition of a Constructor is “out of date” and that more sharing of components between teams should be permitted in the future.
AlphaTauri, owned by Red Bull, uses several Non-Listed Parts from its senior team, as permitted under Formula 1’s regulations.
From 2019 to 2020 the brake ducts were changed from Non-Listed to Listed Parts and it is this tweak that has resulted in Racing Point being sanctioned for a breach of Sporting Regulations.
AlphaTauri, which previously used the components from Red Bull, has for this year designed and produced its own brake ducts for the AT01.
Racing Point has appealed its sanction while two teams – Renault and Ferrari – have also appealed.
Racing Point’s opponents want clarification on future rules regarding car design and Non-Listed Parts, with McLaren and Williams – who opted not to appeal – particularly vocal on the definition of a constructor.
But Tost has suggested that the vast technological evolution means teams are increasingly wasting resources in designing their own components for little benefit.
“The personal opinion of my side is teams should be able to buy much more from another team,” said Tost at the Spanish Grand Prix.
“Why? Because for me this philosophy that every team must be a constructor is out of date.
“I know all the Formula 1 purists say ‘ah we must be a constructor, every team must design everything in-house’ and the question is just the engineers are saying this, how you finance everything?
“Because we reached such a high level on the technical side, the top teams have such a fantastic infrastructure, that if someone wants to come into Formula 1, even the teams which are in Formula 1, if they want to catch up, this is very difficult and nearly impossible.”
“And you’ve spent millions and I’m just asking – what for? I’m asking why every team has to have his own wind tunnel, has to have his own CFD, has to have five or six hundred employees.
“Okay we can say now the cost cap is coming but nevertheless in my opinion we still spend too much money, especially now under these difficult economical circumstances. But the regulation is how it is.
“Personally I still think back to the days when we came to Formula 1 with Toro Rosso when we just got the one year old car from Red Bull Technology and where we could race with a third of the money.”
If you have 10 constructors and 1 leaves, it’s ok. But we now have 3 constructors and if Mercedes leaves then half of the teams will be unable to race. Customer teams create an existential crisis that offers modest cost savings in return.