Racing Point were docked points and fined in 2020 for copying Mercedes’ car too much, resulting in the nickname the ‘Pink Mercedes’.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has rubbished claims of working too closely with AlphaTauri by making a subtle dig at Mercedes and how similar their car was to an opponent’s in 2020.
There are some concerns amongst the paddock about how much closer AlphaTauri are set to work with their sister team in 2024, following their troubling couple of campaigns.
AlphaTauri are set to embark on a complete rebrand ahead of the new season, whilst CEO Peter Bayer has already confirmed that the side will take as many parts from Red Bull as they legally can.
This is acceptable because other powertrain providers, such as Mercedes and Ferrari, frequently provide their client outfits with parts like gearboxes and rear suspension.
To get closer to the leaders, there are concerns that AlphaTauri may adopt a similar development strategy in 2024.
At the most recent Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, AlphaTauri ran a new floor, raising speculation as to whether the team was testing something for Red Bull’s upcoming rival.
The FIA may step in if a team collaborates too closely with another one. This happened in 2020 when it was found that Racing Point, which is now known as Aston Martin, had broken the rules regarding how similar their rear brake ducts were to Mercedes’.
The FIA punished them with a fine of €400,000 and 15 docked points; as a result, Racing Point’s vehicle was given the moniker “Pink Mercedes.”
In addition to stating that AlphaTauri’s car is a “awful long way” from reproducing what Racing Point accomplished back in 2020, Horner emphasized that AlphaTauri and Red Bull’s relationship is far from that.
Horner acknowledged, “We’re an awful long way from a pink Mercedes,” according to Speedcafe.com.
“They receive the transferable components that are specifically mentioned in the regulations that you are permitted to supply.
“There are some very obvious differences between that car and a Red Bull Racing car when you look at it. Furthermore, one could argue that AlphaTauri is not as conceptually close to the RB19 as other cars are on the grid.
All you have to do is glance at an Aston Martin or a McLaren. The rear suspension of a McLaren is conceptually very similar to our own, if you look around.
AlphaTauri’s design will differ somewhat from Red Bull’s, but Horner acknowledges that they will get some components from the Milton Keynes-based company.
The CEO of Red Bull has pointed out that this is exactly the same as what Mercedes and Ferrari already do with the clothes that their customers wear.
As is the case with Mercedes and Ferrari, which provide current grand prix teams with gearboxes, suspensions, simulation tools, and wind tunnel (time), Horner continued, “Of course, there are certain components that we can supply.”
“The companies have the same relationship, so it is ultimately up to them how they use those tools.”
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