During pre-season testing in Bahrain last week, German publication Auto Motor und Sport reported that a Red Bull management structure - rejigged following the death of company founder Dietrich Mateschitz last year - was considering a sale of AlphaTauri.

This was supposedly related to dissatisfaction with the team’s new identity, the squad having been rebranded from Toro Rosso for 2020, failing to significantly boost the fashion brand's following.

Speaking to Sky Germany, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko declined to comment specifically on the matter. However, he was clear that Red Bull could not be satisfied with having one of its teams performing so poorly in F1 after AlphaTauri slumped to ninth in 2022.

Marko said: “Such a decision is entirely up to the shareholders.

“These are rumours that we do not comment on in detail... If you have a team that wins the world championship and the other one is only around ninth place, the synergies don't seem to work properly.

“The overall result is not satisfactory. As proper business people, our shareholders will make the right decision.”

But Tost has activity sought clarification from Oliver Mintzlaff, the managing director of Red Bull GmbH, who has relayed that the immediate future of the team is secure.

AlphaTauri issued a brief statement on Wednesday quoting Tost, who 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.”

There is still a question mark concerning the future organisation of the team, with paddock sources suggesting that AlphaTauri is considering an expansion of its current Faenza factory.

However, it has also been reported that the concern could fully relocate to its aerodynamics facility in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

But that small industrial estate is already well-populated, meaning AlphaTauri would have to potentially buy out local businesses or relocate up the road.

A more certain future for AlphaTauri does further hurt Michael Andretti’s bid to enter F1 should he have wanted to buy an existing outfit, following plans from incumbent teams to triple the anti-dilution joining fee for an 11th team up to $600m.