Tost dismisses AlphaTauri sale reports as ‘rumours with no foundation'

Franz Tost has dismissed reports parent company Red Bull could sell the AlphaTauri team as "rumours" that "have no foundation".

Tost, who became Team Principal of Toro Rosso – formerly Minardi – in 2005, has served in the role through to the squad's rebranding as AlphaTauri at the start of the 2020 F1 season.

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After press reports that Red Bull were looking to sell their junior team, which has fielded drivers such as Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen, Tost and AlphaTauri issued a statement on Wednesday brushing those reports off as "rumours".

Tost says he has spoken to Oliver Mintzlaff – who heads up all Red Bull's sporting activities, including both their Formula 1 teams, since the death of former CEO Dietrich Mateschitz last year – who has assured him the company remains committed to the Faenza-based team.

The statement from Tost issued on Wednesday said: "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 rumours have no foundation, and the team has to remain focused for the start of the season to perform better than last year."

AlphaTauri will race with Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries at the wheel for 2023 after finishing ninth in last year's standings.

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