Dr Helmut Marko is not denying that Red Bull’s second Formula 1 team could be sold.
Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that, with team boss Franz Tost calling ninth in the constructors’ championship last year "catastrophic", Alpha Tauri has been told by its owners that it may need to be sold or relocated from Italy to the UK.
A major improvement in 2023 appears unlikely, with chief engineer Jonathan Eddolls admitting that Bahrain testing last week "didn’t quite live up to expectations".
"We do not comment on rumours in general," Marko, the top Austrian official for Red Bull’s F1 activities, responded when asked about the sale rumours.
"But it’s understandable that Alpha Tauri isn’t satisfied with what it achieved last year. Any decision however is entirely up to the shareholders."
According to the rumour mill, there are already three potential buyers for the Faenza based team - Andretti, Red Bull-linked Formula 2 team Hitech with Dubai funding, and an Indian racing team called Mumbai Falcons.
"As I said," Marko continued, "if the team is not performing, it does not help us. So we are already thinking about how to improve efficiency.
"When you have one team winning the world championship and the other is ninth, that means the synergies don’t seem to be working properly.
"As respectable businessmen, our shareholders will make the right decision, but anything else is hearsay."