Horner: We only supply AlphaTauri with what is permitted

Last season, AlphaTauri decided to work more closely with Red Bull Racing and started receiving more car parts from the parent team that were allowed under the regulations. Rivals fear that the Faenza team will eventually have exactly the same car as Red Bull Racing, but Christian Horner has denied such assumptions.

“We are still a long way from the ‘pink Mercedes’ situation,” says Christian Horner, who recalls an episode in which the Racing Point team’s car looked suspiciously like the racing equipment of then champion Mercedes. – The regulations contain a clear list of parts that may be supplied to other teams, and it is these parts that we transfer to AlphaTauri.

When you look at their car you see fundamental differences with Red Bull Racing. In fact, there are other cars on the grid that are much closer to Red Bull in concept than AlphaTauri. Just look at Aston Martin or McLaren’s rear suspension, which is very similar to ours.”

Christian Horner added that AlphaTauri’s results depend only on the team itself, as in Faenza they will decide in which direction to develop the car: “There are certain components that we can supply, as Mercedes and Ferrari are doing now, by selling them gearboxes to their customers, suspension, simulation tools and access to wind tunnels. And we have the same relationship with AlphaTauri.

It is up to them how they use the tools they are given. In the case of McLaren, they have used the tools they were given more effectively over the past six months than their supplier. As I said, it is up to AlphaTauri how they will use the components obtained under the regulations.”