Nyck de Vries has hinted at a tough season ahead for AlphaTauri in 2023, with the Dutchman anticipating a "fight" to get into the midfield. On paper it was a decent showing for the Red Bull sister squad at pre-season testing in Bahrain, given that they completed more laps than any other team during the three-day test. In this regard, De Vries was pleased with the mileage he was able to complete in Bahrain ahead of his debut full-time season in F1. "During my last morning I mainly did a lot of long runs, focused on preparing for the race," de Vries told Viaplay . "The conditions during those runs were of course not entirely relevant, as it was warmer than it would be during the race, but nevertheless it was important to do it. "I am therefore very satisfied with the test days. We were able to learn and complete a lot."
De Vries: AlphaTauri have to really fight
In terms of how the AT04 compares to its predecessor, de Vries sounded slightly less positive. "The car doesn't feel very different from last year,' he commented. "In general, most teams have some kind of evolution. It's mainly looking for little things that bring you more performance." When asked about the car's characteristics in regards to oversteer or understeer, de Vries explained: "The car has a bit of everything, it's quite open. "It's also a bit inherent to this track, because the tarmac demands so much from the tyres. Then the grip is low and that does highlight a car's weaknesses." AlphaTauri faced a difficult season in 2022, with the team ending the year in P9 of the Constructors' Championship. De Vries has suggested that it could be another challenging year for the squad in 2023. "It's hard to estimate where we are after these three days, but I think we have to fight a bit to get into the middle of the midfield," he said. "Really, really fight, because it's not a given."
Most read
