AlphaTauri is headed to Singapore this week with a “big upgrade” for its AT04 that is directly influenced by the outstanding aero concept adopted by its sister team Red Bull Racing.
AlphaTauri, which has only earned three points this season thanks to Yuki Tsunoda’s three P10 finishes, is in desperate need of a boost in performance. The Faenza-based team it currently sits bottom in the F1 Constructors’ rankings with just three points.
However, according to AlphaTauri CEO Peter Bayer, the squad is optimistic that the Singapore upgrade package, which is inspired by Red Bull’s design concept, will result in a stride forward for its AT04.
“There are no quick gains,” Bayer cautioned, speaking to PlanetF1. “I mean, this year, we’ve seen some amazing changes in the results scheme, when suddenly Aston Martin popped up, and then suddenly McLaren popped up.
“I think that’s really down to the fact that they all understood that what Red Bull Racing did in terms of design philosophy is the right one with this new downforce element which everybody is following.
“We actually have a big upgrade coming for Singapore, which will follow the same philosophy so everybody’s closing in on that and then I think next year will be extremely close.”
Red Bull considered selling AlphaTauri entirely earlier this year after the energy drink manufacturer evaluated the team.
However, Red Bull ultimately decided to keep its second F1 outfit and work on a comprehensive plan that would improve its performance on the track.
More cooperation and a greater technical partnership with Red Bull Racing will be a part of the improvement plan, Bayer affirmed. However, the team will additionally continue to operate with a significant degree of independence.
“With the cost cap, and the technical regulations, you almost can’t be like a sister or brother team – you have to be a Formula 1 team,” the AlphaTauri boss added. “We need to grow through that process of growing up, going through adolescence, and start walking on our own feet.
“Obviously not in contradiction with getting support from our family, and I think that’s really what we’re also supposed to achieve.
“That’s what we want to achieve, we can still exploit the technical collaboration because we haven’t done that in the past.
“It’s well known by now, but, if you think about the importance of the suspension nowadays, and that we’re not using the suspension which we are allowed to use, it simply was a mistake.”
