AlphaTauri was set to bring major updates to the AT04 in Imola following their poor start to the 2023 Formula 1 season. In just five races the team has scored just two points, lie ninth in the Constructors' Championship ahead of Williams, and have achieved just one appearance in Q3 during qualifying sessions. Rumours have been circulating around the future of Nyck de Vries at the team , after struggling to score any points and regularly finishing at the back of the field. The team had "big changes" lined up for the AT04 at Imola aimed at curing their drag issues, however these will be delayed following the cancellation of the event. "We will bring a complete new floor to Imola," explained AlphaTauri's Head of Vehicle Performance, Guillaume Dezoteux in Miami. "We are looking forward to having it on the car. It's a big step, so we hope that it will deliver on expectations. So far the updates have been working on our expectations, this front wing has worked well and aligned on the wind tunnel prediction."
AlphaTauri change development direction
Dezoteux explained the main problems with their car has been it's sensitivity in the high speed corners which changes of direction. "It's more difficult for us in the corners with a lot of yaw, with a lot of cornering, where the cost to produce the [aerodynamic] load in a corner for a long time," he said. When asked if the team plans to utilise more development resources with sister team Red Bull, Dezoteux confirmed that it is an avenue they are working on for 2024. "We have a number of synergies on the rear end of the car, that is something we are working on for next year," he added. "It's not it's not fully defined, but this is something we are working on."
Most read