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The upgrade that AlphaTauri’s Formula 1 drivers said its “dead slow” car “desperately” needed has broken cover at the French Grand Prix.
AlphaTauri has failed to make Q3 or score points in the last three races as its AT03, which started the season in inconsistent form due to a weak front end that was exposed at certain tracks, has slipped in competitiveness while other teams have developed their cars better.
Technical director Jody Egginton admitted recently the team has been “out of phase” with its rivals in terms of updates.
A major package has been developed for the French GP, though, and has been revealed in Friday practice, running on Pierre Gasly’s car.
The floor inlet has been reshaped and the “whole underside” of the floor reprofiled, while the floor fences and floor edge have been altered as well.
AlphaTauri has moved towards a Ferrari-style sidepod design as well with a taller outboard shoulder creating a “gulley” in the top surface.
There is also a revised diffuser design, adding more camber to the trailing edge and the cut out in the sidewall removed, to take advantage of the changes to the bodywork and floor.
Gasly said the team has been “dead slow in the last couple of races” and had to be “honest with our performance, it hasn’t been strong enough”.
“We desperately needed this upgrade and now it’s coming this weekend,” said Gasly.
“And hopefully it can turn things around for our season.
“I don’t think we are missing much. But it’s extremely tight in the midfield and two or three tenths can move you up and down like seven or eight positions at the moment.
“We’ve just being slowly sliding towards the back of the midfield in the last couple of races and hopefully these upgrades can put us back in the fight.”
Tsunoda indicated that AlphaTauri has high hopes for the upgrade and expects it to lift into contention to be the lead midfield team.
“Hopefully the upgrade will bring us top seven, I would be happy with that,” he said. “Based on the numbers we’ve got, it’s around there but you never know.
“Every race track behaves differently with that car. Hopefully we will be at least three tenths or four tenths quicker than previous conditions.”
On what the new upgrade should provide, Tsunoda added: “It should be purely just load.
“I won’t expect the characteristic of the car to be different.
“Similar behaviour through the corners but just generally more load.”
