AlphaTauri leader Peter Bayer has expressed his gratitude to members of the Red Bull hierarchy for facilitating his move to F1 leadership.
Bayer announced as AlphaTauri’s chief executive last summer in an era of major renewal for junior team Red Bull, whose team principal Franz Tost left the company at the end of the 2023 season.
The Austrian’s appointment was seen as a major coup after he had been a candidate during former president Jean Todt’s presidency at the FIA, as well as in winter sports, sailing and the International Olympic Committee.
Reflecting on his first six months at AlphaTauri, Bayer thanked Tost for his guidance and reserved special praise for Red Bull’s controversial advisor Helmut Marko, recalling a moment at July’s Hungarian Grand Prix when Marko took him aside to offer some perspective.
He told RacingNews365: “It was a wonderful year because Franz was by my side. Franz will remain a friend. But it’s also transparent that I communicate a lot with Helmut. He’s got a lot of knowledge. “
“There was a scenario where I got incredibly angry and felt the tension as overwhelming. You come in and think you can make a contrition, but it fails. Helmut disarmed me in Budapest and consulted an e-book about his participation in Le Mans in the 1970s. .
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“There was a picture of how they were driving at 400 kilometers per hour in a straight line. He looked at me and said, “You look stressed,” to which I replied, “I am. “
“Helmut took the picture and said, ‘This is scary, take it easy. ‘
“Helmut may have the symbol of a cheater, but at the right time he can come up to you, pat you on the shoulder and say, ‘Everything will be fine. ‘That’s fantastic and very helpful. “
“And operationally, the door is open with Christian [Red Bull team principal] Christian [Horner] supporting us. We’re privileged in this area, so I appreciate that. “
Under the leadership of new team principal Laurent Mekies, the former Ferrari sporting director, AlphaTauri are set to forge closer ties with parent team Red Bull in 2024.
The new arrangement has been likened to Haas’s relationship with Ferrari, whereby the American team use as many Ferrari-built components as is allowed under F1’s regulations, and is expected to result in a major boost in competitiveness this year.
AlphaTauri finished a disappointing eighth in the 2023 Constructors’ standings, with drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda remaining with the team for 2024.
Read more: Exclusive Q&A with Peter Bayer: Red Bull’s confidence in plotting a first for AlphaTauri
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