As the start of the 2024 Formula One season ticks ever closer, we may now know what AlphaTauri will be called going forward and we now certainly know what the 2024 McLaren will look like. There was also some important contract renewals at Mercedes as they gear up for the upcoming season.
AlphaTauri accidentally leaked their new name, as they changed their Instagram username to “VisaCashAppRB”. AlphaTauri, which was called Toro Rosso until the name was changed to promote Red Bull’s fashion label in 2020, is believed to be undergoing a brand change for the 2024 season. Late last year, Red Bull filed a trademark for the name “Racing Bulls” and acquired the domain names “racingbulls.com” and “visacashapprb.com”. While there has yet to be any official announcement of the team’s rebranding, the team’s Instagram account has been deleted.
Veteran Formula One engineer Alan Permane has been linked to a new role at AlphaTauri in 2024, although there has been no official confirmation from either party. Permane has spent more than 30 years in Formula One with Benetton, which later became Renault and most recently Alpine. He left the team last year during a management restructuring at the team.
McLaren already has a P1 finish under their belt in 2024 before the season has even started, becoming the first team to unveil their 2024 livery in a surprise launch on Tuesday. The car has retained its carbon fibre appearance with papaya orange and the Google-coloured wheels, but no longer has the blue accents from previous years. McLaren has yet to launch their 2024 car, which is scheduled for February 14.
Meanwhile, Alpine has been teasing their livery on social media, sharing closeup images of a pink livery. The images appear to be closeup photos (or potentially 3D renders) of a front wing and rear wing, both covered in a pink camouflage pattern. It’s unclear whether this is a teaser for the team’s 2024 livery, a test livery, or just a publicity stunt to promote their car launch scheduled for February 7. Previously, the Force India team featured a pink livery from 2017 until they were rebranded to Aston Martin in 2021, due to their sponsor BWT. Alpine’s livery has heavily featured pink since BWT became their title sponsor in 2022, although the team has yet to run a fully pink livery aside from a few races.
Toto Wolff has reached an agreement with the Mercedes F1 Team to remain head of the team until at least the end of 2026. Wolff joined the team in 2013 when he acquired a 33% stake in the team and began working as CEO and team principal. According to him, the other two shareholders (Ineos and Mercedes-Benz) agreed that the best path forward is with Wolff in charge. Despite the poor performance of Mercedes in recent seasons, he also claims that he does not have a performance clause in his contract and never has.
Toto Wolff also touted some good performance results for the upcoming Mercedes W15 in the simulator. With technical director James Allison back at the helm, the team has been working on a very different and, according to Wolff, much better car for the 2024 season. However, whether or not this performance translates onto the race track remains to be seen.
Mercedes has also signed a long-term deal with James Allison to remain technical director. He joined the team back in 2017 after taking a brief hiatus from Ferrari. He took a two year break from the role to serve as Mercedes’ Chief Technical Officer in 2021, returning to his previous role last year as part of a job swap with Mile Elliott. Mercedes have not disclosed the duration of his new contract.
Formula One has appointed Emily Prazer to the position of chief commercial officer. She was instrumental in the creation of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and will continue to work on the event alongside her new role. She first joined Formula One Management in the first year of Liberty Media’s take over in 2017, making her way to head of commercial development and race promotion only a couple years later. Prazer is effectively replacing Brandon Snow, who left the now defunct role of managing director.
The Singapore government has denied any risk to the Singapore Grand Prix following the resignation of transport minister S. Iswaran, who is currently facing 27 charges of corruption and bribery. The controversy largely relates to his business relationship with billionaire businessman Ong Beng Seng, who is the rights holder for the Singapore Grand Prix. The race has a contract until 2028 and the Singapore Ministry of Trade has noted the importance of the event.
The Suzuka Circuit may be under threat by a push to host the Japanese Grand Prix in Osaka. The Osaka Convention And Tourism Bureau has confirmed plans to host a Formula One race at a street circuit around the public roads of the city. The iconic Suzuka Circuit has yet to obtain a contract to host the Japanese Grand Prix beyond 2024 and with the calendar currently stretched the maximum, it’s unlikely to see two Japanese-based Formula One races.
Max Verstappen won the iRacing Daytona 24 Hours event, finishing first in the GTD class with teammates Ola Steinbraten and Gianni Vecchio. He participated in the event with Team Redline in a #69 Mercedes AMG car. It was not quite smooth sailing for the Dutchman, as he spun after tangling with the team’s sister car at the halfway point of the race. The iRacing Daytona 24 Hours is one of the most prestigious simulation events, being held ahead of the actual Daytona 24 Hours that will take place this upcoming weekend.
It can be challenging for even the most avid fans to keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula One. The Weekly F1 Recap is a series published each Monday that breaks down the action, both on and off the circuit, into bit-sized pieces. It's perfect for casual and experienced fans alike.
