AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost addresses sale rumors

AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost has quashed rumors suggesting the Faenza-based squad was for sale.

A few days ago, AMuS had reported that Red Bull was either looking to sell the team or move base to England. The rumors were rooted in the brand's change in senior management following the death of founder Dietrich Mateschitz.

AlphaTauri has had a few disappointing outings in the last few seasons with the team finishing ninth in the championship last season. AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost has however moved to quash these rumors as the team released a statement on social media stating:

"I had some very good meetings with Oliver Mintzlaff, who confirmed that the shareholders will not sell Scuderia AlphaTauri and that Red Bull will continue supporting the team in the future. All these rumors have no foundation, and the team has to remain focused for the start of the season to perform better than last year."

The rumors earlier in the week had gained momentum after Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko's comments. When asked if the reports of AlphaTauri being sold had any legitimacy, Marko said that the decision was down to the shareholders instead of quashing the rumors. He said:

“Such a decision is entirely up to the shareholders. These are rumors that we do not comment on in detail... If you have a team that wins the world championship and the other one is only around ninth place, the synergies don't seem to work properly. The overall result is not satisfactory. As proper business people, our shareholders will make the right decision.”

3 possible candidates rumored for AlphaTauri's sale

There were three possible candidates who were rumored to be in the running to buy the team. The first was Andretti, the second was Hitech GP (the team runs its program in F2), and the third is the billionaire owner of the Indian motorsport team Mumbai Falcons.

It's hard to deny that the team is in a rebuilding phase right now. The team is trying to get all the ducks in a row after losing its lead driver in Pierre Gasly.

The driver lineup is somewhat unheralded with Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries. At this stage, news of a possible sale of the team should be a concern and it is safe to say that Tost's statement is not the last we will hear about it this season.