Red Bull Formula 1 boss Christian Horner has denied that the team’s closer association with AlphaTauri will open up a case similar to the “Pink Mercedes” dispute in 2020.
Amid rumours the team could be sold earlier this year, it was revealed that the Faenza-based outfit will “use as many synergies with Red Bull as allowed by the regulations”.
AlphaTauri now has an increased presence within its aerodynamics department housed in Bicester, England and will capitalise on taking more parts from Red Bull than before.
But AlphaTauri’s late development push that saw it almost snatch seventh in the championship has prompted concerns from rival sides, resulting in the FIA clarifying that it intends to provide updated guidance to ensure that collaboration between F1 teams doesn’t contravene the sport’s regulations.
The ties between the two Red Bull-owned teams have drawn some comparisons to the saga that involved Racing Point’s RP20 car resembling the title-winning Mercedes W10.
Following protests, the Silverstone squad was hit with a 15-point deduction and a €400,000 fine after being found guilty of breaking IP rules with its rear brake ducts.
However, Horner has downplayed that AlphaTauri, which will be rebranded ahead of 2024, and Red Bull’s increased relationship will replicate that scale of controversy.
“We’re an awfully long way from a ‘Pink Mercedes’,” he said. “There are some transferable components that are clearly listed within the regulations that you’re allowed to supply and that’s what they get.
“When you look at the car, there are quite fundamental differences between that car and a Red Bull Racing car. And, arguably, there are other cars on the grid which are far closer in concept than an AlphaTauri is.
“You’ve only got to look at an Aston Martin or even a McLaren. If you look around the rear suspension of a McLaren, it’s very close in concept to that of our own.”
Horner also addressed that AlphaTauri’s performance would be dependent on how the team’s personnel utilised the supplied parts from Red Bull, pointing out that its a similar arrangement to the one rivals Ferrari and Mercedes share with customer entries.
“It’s down to the quality of people that will be in the team,” he added. “Of course, there are certain components that we can supply, as is the case with Mercedes and Ferrari that supply current grand prix teams with gearboxes, suspension and simulation tools and wind tunnel.
“And that is an identical relationship between the companies.
“Of course, it is then down to them how they use those tools. You can see that McLaren have used those tools, in certain respects, better than their supplier has done in half of the year.
“It’s really down to them how they make use of what they’re permitted within the regulations.”
FIA Single Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis noted that its stringent checks will prevent teams from trialling separate development directions to converge on a solution quicker.
Asked how comfortable he was with the renewed technical alliance, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff admitted he hadn’t diverted much attention to the discussion.
“To be honest, I’ve only seen that [Yuki] Tsunoda was sixth in quali [in Abu Dhabi] and they’ve come strong which makes me happy for Franz [Tost] to go out with AlphaTauri on a high,” Wolff commented.
“But I guess, you know, this is a transparent world. I haven’t looked at any components or so, I’m sure that others will and then we take it from there. But honestly, I haven’t, I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about it.”
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