AlphaTauri’s new AT03 has run on track for the first time ahead of the 2022 Formula 1 season.
The team conducted a filming day at the Misano circuit in Italy last week with race drivers Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda.“The new car is really different,” said Gasly after his first run in the car built to F1’s new regulations for the upcoming season. “I have to say the first feeling driving it was quite good, even if the track was wet and therefore slippery.”
He said there is “lots still to be discovered” about the all-new design ahead of the start of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya tomorrow. “We will have a lot of work to do to maximize the six days of testing available to us before we get to the first race in Bahrain.”
AlphaTauri’s first impression of their new car was “very positive”, said team principal Franz Tost. “Hopefully the on-track battles will be much closer, for Formula 1 – as for any kind of sport – it’s very important that many competitors are able to win races.
“I think F1 is going into the right direction with the new regulations and the cost cap. I think we have a promising package but now we have to wait and see how we compare once all cars take to the track at pre-season testing.”
Pictures: 2022 AlphaTauri AT03 on track
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Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
22nd February 2022, 17:12
Love the nose! Very 1990s!!
Robbie (@robbie)
22nd February 2022, 17:17
Lol was just going to say quite a broad nose compared to some of the others we have seen, albeit not knowing if that is teams’ final iteration, not to mention it sounds like the cars may keep changing for some time into the season anyway.
amian
22nd February 2022, 17:21
There’s nothing 1990s about that nose, unless you only mean 1998/99.
Kringle
22nd February 2022, 18:07
Please point me to a single car from 1998+1999 that looks like that.
amian
22nd February 2022, 18:48
We’re not talking about cars, but noses. Noses in the 1990s were round, pointy and had significant curvature (arch).
The flat, angular noses appeared in 1997, with the first really sharp edged one in 1998 with McLaren, which is the one I could accept as being called somewhat similar looking.
The Alpha Tauri nose is angular and a goes flat without an arch for a good metre from the tip, it appears low but it isn’t that much, it may only look so because it has the front wing mounted to it.
Ruben
22nd February 2022, 19:19
The tip of the nose is kind of remniscent of, for instance, the 1991 Ferrari 642. Although from the relative flat tip it does become pretty boxy indeed, so it jumps from the beginning of the 90s to the end of it pretty fast there :)
Gabriel Vargas
22nd February 2022, 19:58
You have the Tyrrel 019 in mind! Cool!
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
22nd February 2022, 17:26
Just an absolutely brilliant car. I really hope it’s fast.
Jere (@jerejj)
22nd February 2022, 18:05
Interestingly, Gasly used a clear visor in natural light.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
22nd February 2022, 18:29
@amian Mind you I said 1990s, as in the decade. And it was more of an early 1990s thing to have a low nose like that, with the wing being like two elements at each side of the nose, like this Alpha Tauri.
On the other hand, there wasn’t a single car between 1998 and 1999 that had a low nose, so not sure what you’re talking about.
amian
22nd February 2022, 18:51
I responded to your original comment above. That flat, straight, angular, nose is nothing like the round, arching noses with pointy tips of the 1990’s car.
theRealMax (@millionus)
22nd February 2022, 19:01
Of all the cars this is my least favourite. Nose looks like it came off a platypus.
Mark Thomson (@melthom)
22nd February 2022, 20:29
+1
Srdjan Mandic (@srga91)
22nd February 2022, 19:20
I don’t know, the nose looks quite hideous to me. Very wide, with the tip reaching under the front wing. I wonder why they opted for this solution or what kind of benefit they hope to get from that design.
Other than that, no real surprises on the car. As expected, they kept the long and heavily undercutted sidepods, which get lower and lower until they merge with the floor. I expect a similar design from RB, though with a significantly thinner nose and a different front wing design (judging by the leaked images of the RB18).
Antz (@antznz)
22nd February 2022, 19:21
The cars are all certainly more different than I was expecting! Many different concepts and philosophy, interesting to see how high some of the front wings are, like the AT. I’m looking forward to the racing more than I have in years. I just hope stewarding won’t ruin the season.
Boomerang
22nd February 2022, 19:26
I like the livery, and Gurney flap on the rear wing.
Nick T.
22nd February 2022, 23:37
All of the new generation bodies look like a blend of past spec IndyCar chassis. I’ll be fine with it if the racing really does get close and aero wake is cut in half.
kpcart
23rd February 2022, 4:19
Looks like almost front take, to suck in heaps of air from ground effects. Should have great traction. But I could also be completely wrong. I wonder if a solution like Williams 2004 walrus would work on these cars