72 GP RACING APRIL 2020
hese are unusual times in
Faenza. Scuderia AlphaTauri, as we must now call the artist
formerly known as Toro Rosso, is undergoing rather more
than a cosmetic rebranding. Its role in the bigger geopolitical
battles ofF1 is shifting; sight of its core purposehas become
obscured, and yet it remains the brave little team that can.
Whatever the machinations behind the scenes, last year it
managed its highest-ever points tally and equalled its best-ever
finish in the constructors’ championship. It takes the notion
that Formula 1 thrives on stability, and throws it into the
proverbial cocked hat. And in the middle ofthe maelstrom–
calm or otherwise – are Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly. Aged 25
and 24 respectively,they have more baggage than they deserve
for their tender years but are also in possession of a rare
opportunity todives t themselves and progress unencumbered.
When Red Bull boughtMinardi at the end of 2005, the
benefits of owning a second team were manifold: it gave the
carbonated beverages men a heavier political hammer among
F1’s stakeholders at a time whenthe paddock was a much less
consensual place than it is today; thenthere wasthe ability,
via the auspices of Red Bull Technology, to get more bang
for its design buck, neatly circumventing the legal niceties
related to customer cars. It would also – and this was very
much the front-of-house logic – provide thegraduate school
for the alumni of the Red Bull Junior Team. More than athird
of the current field have entered F1 via this route, and while
it’s been decried as an expensive indulgence by rivals, it’s also
an indulgence discussed with more than a touch of envy. The
methodologyproduced Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo;
and it allowed Red Bull to spirit Max Verstappen away from
the influence of Mercedes by dangling a race seat in front of
him when he was 16: an offer he and his advisors could not
refuse and one, crucially, the Silver Arrows could not match.
In the 16-season history of Red Bull, the only drivers not to
join the team without first completing astint a t Toro Rosso are
the ones that made their debut before Toro Rosso existed.
Which all leads us tothe Curious Case of Daniil Kvyat and
Pierre Gasly: drivers who, contrary to the natural order of
things, are moving backwards through time, returning to
Faenza for a second (and arguably, in the case of Kvyat, a
third) term.In terms of grands prix contes ted this is,by a considerablemargin, the most experienced line-upthe
team has ever enjoyed.But it also begs the question: why?
Neitherdriver is there to have the rough edges knocked off –
they’ve already been through that process.
The most generous interpretation is strength in depth. Both
in 2016 when Red Bullpromoted Max Verstappento replace
Kvyat, and again last year when Alex Albon replacedGasly,
the senior team provided the thinnestof comfort blankets by
using the logic of squad rotation. It holdsthe contracts for
all of Red Bull’s drivers and constantly evaluates who is best
placed to drive for theseni or team. It decides who – to extend
the metaphor – needs a spell playing for the reserves.
While results justify Red Bull’s decision-making in both
instances, the drivers also have a reasonable case for feeling
aggrieved. Having beaten Daniel Ricciardo in his first season
with Red Bull, Kvyat was replaced just four races into his
second. Hegave the team its only podium of the young seasonT
72 GP RACING APRIL 2020
sual times in
w call the artist
g rather more
igger geopolitical
battles ofF1 is shifting; sight of its core purposehas become
obscured, and yet it remains the brave little team that can.
Whatever the machinations behind the scenes, last year it
managed its highest-ever points tally and equalled its best-ever
finish in the constructors’ championship. It takes the notion
that Formula 1 thrives on stability, and throws it into the
proverbial cocked hat. And in the middle ofthe maelstrom–
calm or otherwise – are Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly. Aged 25
and 24 respectively,they have more baggage than they deserve
for their tender years but are also in possession of a rare
opportunity todives t themselves and progress unencumbered.
When Red Bull boughtMinardi at the end of 2005, the
benefits of owning a second team were manifold: it gave the
carbonated beverages men a heavier political hammer among
F1’s stakeholders at a time whenthe paddock was a much less
consensual place than it is today; thenthere wasthe ability,
via the auspices of Red Bull Technology, to get more bang
for its design buck, neatly circumventing the legal niceties
related to customer cars. It would also – and this was very
much the front-of-house logic – provide thegraduate school
for the alumni of the Red Bull Junior Team. More than athird
of the current field have entered F1 via this route, and while
it’s been decried as an expensive indulgence by rivals, it’s also
an indulgence discussed with more than a touch of envy. The
methodologyproduced Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo;
and it allowed Red Bull to spirit Max Verstappen away from
the influence of Mercedes by dangling a race seat in front of
him when he was 16: an offer he and his advisors could not
refuse and one, crucially, the Silver Arrows could not match.
In the 16-season history of Red Bull, the only drivers not to
join the team without first completing astint a t Toro Rosso are
the ones that made their debut before Toro Rosso existed.
Which all leads us tothe Curious Case of Daniil Kvyat and
Pierre Gasly: drivers who, contrary to the natural order of
things, are moving backwards through time, returning to
Faenza for a second (and arguably, in the case of Kvyat, a
third) term.In terms of grands prix contes ted this is,by a considerablemargin, the most experienced line-upthe
team has ever enjoyed.But it also begs the question: why?
Neitherdriver is there to have the rough edges knocked off –
they’ve already been through that process.
The most generous interpretation is strength in depth. Both
in 2016 when Red Bullpromoted Max Verstappento replace
Kvyat, and again last year when Alex Albon replacedGasly,
the senior team provided the thinnestof comfort blankets by
using the logic of squad rotation. It holdsthe contracts for
all of Red Bull’s drivers and constantly evaluates who is best
placed to drive for theseni or team. It decides who – to extend
the metaphor – needs a spell playing for the reserves.
While results justify Red Bull’s decision-making in both
instances, the drivers also have a reasonable case for feeling
aggrieved. Having beaten Daniel Ricciardo in his first season
with Red Bull, Kvyat was replaced just four races into his
second. Hegave the team its only podium of the young season