Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda have been retained by the team for the current season. Liam Lawson, who ran five races last year, has been left out.
AlphaTauri is shifting gears due to a rebranding, new major US-based sponsors, and an increased push from Red Bull, its owner. The team is expected to deliver better results rather than solely acting as a stepping stone to the senior team, as has been the case before.
The restructuring is happening in line with Franz Tost, former boss, passing the baton to the new management team of Bayer and Laurent Mekies, the new team principal.
Peter Bayer, the new CEO, stated, “The shareholders said, ‘we want you to be competitive’, while they were restructuring things.” He agreed with Tost, who always maintained that a young driver takes about three years to be prepared for F1.
Bayer emphasized the intricate nature of the sport and the detail of information that has to be understood, processed, and communicated back to the team to remain competitive.
Peter Bayer, CEO of Scuderia AlphaTauri, noted the increase in radio traffic when Lawson took over from an injured Ricciardo. According to Bayer, this experience highlighted the level of guidance that is often required by rookie drivers.
Bayer explained, “When a young driver is in the car, the flow of information changes. With an experienced driver like Daniel, he provides information to the engineer, who in turn informs the operations room.”
Bayer contrasted this with a younger driver where information flows from the operations room to the engineers, to the pit wall, and finally to the driver. With younger drivers, constant guidance is required.
Bayer compared the scenario to a theatrical performance; the engineer is constantly communicating with the young driver. With an experienced driver like Daniel, communication is minimal, and once a lap, Daniel might report an issue that can then be resolved.
Daniel would even provide suggestions about changing the strategy based on his position in the race. As Daniel Bayer mentioned, the entire process of vehicle performance and simulator work becomes a different ball game.
Previously, young drivers were mentored by experienced drivers. Bayer revealed that this process now requires more preparation than before.
Bayer reiterated that moving forward, the team will emulate its rivals and increase private running time with young drivers in a two-year-old vehicle, as prescribed by the rules. This means that the 2022 cars, the first of the recent ground effects regulations, can now be used for such testing.
Hence, the team plans to use some of its budget next year to ensure that its young drivers are well-prepared.
Bayer pointed to Oscar Piastri as a prime example. Piastri clocked in thousands of miles with Alpine, which Bayer claimed made a big difference.
The team is planning a considerable program for Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar, and potentially Ayumu Iwasa. The goal is to give them as much practice as possible. Interestingly, they will be using the ’22 car, which is relevant to this year’s racing.