Video: New AlphaTauri AT04 makes its debut on track

AlphaTauri’s new AT04 has run on track for the first time ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season.

Yuki Tsunoda drove the car at the Misano circuit in Italy. The 4.2-kilometre track has never held a round of the world championship, but the Faenza-based team regularly uses it to roll out its new F1 cars.

AlphaTauri held a launch event in New York on Saturday for its new livery. The car features the colours of new sponsor Orlen, which has moved over from rival team Alfa Romeo.

Tsunoda is joined by new team mate Nyck de Vries, who is starting his first full season as an F1 driver. De Vries, who turned 28 last week, drove the car in the afternoon.

The team endured a disappointing 2022 campaign in which it fell to ninth out of the 10 teams. But technical director Jody Egginton says they have drawn useful lessons from last year’s car, which former driver Pierre Gasly said was compromised by being overweight.

“We learned a lot from the AT03 along the course of its development and much of what we learned has gone forward into the general layout of the AT04 to address some of the weaknesses we identified from last year’s car,” said Egginton. “In simple terms, we were lacking a little bit of downforce compared to our main competitors and there was an opportunity for mass reduction.”

This article will be updated

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