Power partnership to spark revival? - What to expect from AlphaTauri in 2024

It won't be long until F1 teams begin to take the covers off theirnew challengers for the upcoming season as we eagerly anticipatethe first track running of the year in the Bahrain test. Ahead ofthe car launches, RacingNews365 will take a look at what to expectfrom each team ahead of the new campaign and next up is the teamformerly known as AlphaTauri, which finished eighth in theConstructors' standings last term. New name Whilst we don't knowwhat the team's new identity will be yet, one thing is for certain- it won't be AlphaTauri. Since Red Bull acquired the formerMinardi team ahead of the 2006 season, the outfit has transformedbetween Toro Rosso and the clothing company but, after fourseasons, a new brand will be forthcoming. There have been variousrumours as to what the new name will be, with Racing Bullsseemingly the pick of the bunch given the cryptic listing on theFIA's official entry list for the new campaign. But it is likely wewill only find out when the new challenger is launched next month.Closer ties to Red Bull One thing the team is eager to establish isa closer connection to Red Bull's parent team. AlphaTauri hasalways opted to try and develop its own parts in conjunction withthose supplied by Red Bull - within the parameters of theregulations - which has often been a surprise, considering thelatter's success in the sport. Under new management, it seems theobvious route has now been taken, with a greater focus being placedon its United Kingdom-based operation in conjunction with the mainfactory in Faenza. If exploited fully - and integrated properly -the team should springboard up the midfield order into a regularpoints-scoring outfit. Crucial season for Tsunoda Yuki Tsunoda hasshown steady progression since his rookie season in the sport. TheJapanese driver, despite having scored on his debut, struggled tostring together consistent results as a number ofconfidence-knocking mistakes set him back alongside Pierre Gasly.But since then, his evident speed has begun to shine on moreoccasions than not and, at the midway point of last season,Tsunoda's peers were full of praise for his efforts at the wheel ofa car that was struggling for performance. Another step up has tobe taken though for Tsunoda to be sure of his future in F1, whetherthat be a part of Red Bull's set-up or elsewhere. Consistency iskey. Ricciardo's Red Bull audition Daniel Ricciardo enters theseason with a huge opportunity to reignite his F1 career. TheAustralian was out of a seat this time 12 months ago having beendropped by McLaren and was forced to settle with a role as thirddriver for Red Bull - the team he left at the end of 2018. But Nyckde Vries' struggles opened the door for a way back for Ricciardoand, given Sergio Perez's apparently precarious position alongsideMax Verstappen, a strong season - with errors kept to a minimum andstrong pace - could see the eight-time Grand Prix winner back inrace-winning machinery. There would be no-one begrudging Ricciardoof that chance. New management a turning point? Franz Tost had beenan ever-present since Red Bull took over the former Minardi outfit,with his racer-through-and-through philosophy proving both a helpand a hindrance to Toro Rosso-AlphaTauri in equal measures. The newmanagement structure of Peter Bayer and Laurent Mekies are the oneswho have opted to make closer ties to the main Red Bull team,whilst also opting to go with the Ricciardo-Tsunoda partnership fora mixture of youth and experience, despite the impressive nature ofLiam Lawson's cameo in the second half of last season. Mekiesbrings a wealth of experience from roles with Ferrari and the FIA,with Bayer having also held an established role within thegoverning body. How the duo take the team forward remains to beseen, but the new structure is certainly a powerful partnership.