Why AlphaTauri changed tack on being an F1 rookie training ground

The team has retained Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda for this season, leaving Liam Lawson, who contested five races last year, on the sidelines.

The fresh identity, incoming major US-based sponsors and an extra push from owner Red Bull has obliged AlphaTauri to focus on getting the best possible results, rather than serve primarily as a training ground for a potential recruit to its sister team, which was usually the case in the past.

The…