Thread by @JunaidSamodien_

AUTO MOTOR UND SPORT - Alpha Tauri has only collected one point in three races. The AT04 does not generate enough downforce, especially in slow corners.

With an aggressive development, the racing team from Faenza wants to return to the broad midfield. For the future, the team will be more closely tied to Red Bull.

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According to the engineers, the AT04 starved itself far below the weight limit. The overweight had been one of the problem areas of the predecessor. The performance in fast corners has improved.

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But the race car driven by Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries struggled with unstable handling on the brakes and chronic understeer, especially in the first two races. In Melbourne there was a first improvement in this regard.

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The engineers from Faenza, Italy delivered the first major aerodynamic facelift of the season. It included a new floor and modifications to the diffuser. AlphaTauri made improvements in all places.

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The geometry of the front baffles at the entrance to the Venturi channels was changed. The underside and the outer edges of the floor were reworked. Jody Egginton stated: "The new parts have delivered what we had calculated. Our expectations were largely met."
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The upgrades were designed before the new AT04 experienced its first meters on the racetrack. It must have become clear to the engineers by winter that they had to do more quickly and on a larger scale.

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Egginton admits: "We didn't develop our car enough last year. We couldn't develop it the way we wanted either. That's why we were slightly behind and we have to catch up."

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Exactly why the engineers couldn't do what they would have liked to do last season has so far remained hidden. This year's project was also approached with great ambitions.

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"We've taken a step forward with our car compared to last year. We've met most of our goals, but not all," says Egginton, adding qualifyingly: "If you achieve all of your development goals in winter, you've set the wrong ones."

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"Then it was obviously too easy. But it's not like we didn't set ourselves ambitious goals."

With the new floor, the engineers want to better control the flow to the rear and the associated air turbulence.

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Damaging turbulence caused by the flexing of the rear tires should be kept away from the diffuser. The expansion of the air in the diffuser should be stronger. Everything with the desire to increase the downforce and keep it more stableeven with more ground clearance in the rear.

"Especially at low speeds we didn't reach our aerodynamic goals. However, the upgrades helped to improve stability on corner entry." The drivers can now attack more from the braking phase to the apex. "It was a first step. However, not all problems can be solved with an update."

AlphaTauri still has a long way to go, as the Australian weekend showed. Tsunoda and de Vries at least climbed into the second qualifier. Q3 was three tenths of a second away.

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Tsunoda was quicker than his teammate despite his car being fitted with the old floor in qualifying following a practice accident. The racing speed was disappointing – whether new or old. After all, Tsunoda and de Vries collected comparative data under identical conditions.

Franz Tost demands a quick improvement. The Austrian wants to see results - not in the wind tunnel, but on the racetrack. The stopwatch tells the truth. Tost does not shy away from criticizing his engineers, whom he publicly accused of no longer trusting them.

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The engineers have not yet lost faith in themselves: "It was also this team that built cars that made podiums in 2019, 2020 and 2021." But the engineers are also aware that they have to deliver. The AT04 is still an unfinished product.

"With the new floor, we've created a base to build on. The floor is the biggest battlefield with these cars. In Australia we've taken the first of probably five or six development steps with the floor" reveals Egginton.

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AlphaTauri wants to move up quickly from the bottom of the table and establish itself in the broad midfield. The team should actually finish sixth in the championship – at least.

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"We have to develop better than our opponents. Our goal is to move further up the midfield in the first part of the season." There will be further upgrades in the next races.

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The racing team is to be repositioned and realigned for the future. There should have been several business games for this. What has emerged is that the team has to be more popular, the marketing better and the car faster. Investments may also be needed.

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A model similar in shape to that between Ferrari and Haas would make the most sense. The US team is docked with a development arm at Ferrari in Maranello, but also operates other locations.

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Red Bull is currently building the fastest car. Closer relationships would therefore be advisable. The more synergies you create between the teams, the more the engineers can throw themselves into other areas.

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From 2024, the little brother, who employs significantly fewer engineers, will also get the front wheel suspension from Red Bull, for example. Because the fashion brand is not a successful model, the team name could also be different.

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A stronger connection to Red Bull and the Milton Keynes location does not only make sense in the short term to save costs and make technical progress.

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But also in the long term. With the change of regulations in 2026, Red Bull builds the car and the engine itself - hall next to hall. The power unit from Red Bull Ford will also refer to AlphaTauri. Chassis and drive on one campus: That would also be tempting for the sister team.

Especially since Red Bull is also building a brand new wind tunnel in Milton Keynes. The old wind tunnel in Bedford is currently shared.

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The racing team from Faenza has been a successful training center for Red Bull so far - even if the world champion team had signed Sergio Perez in 2021, a driver who did not come from their own squad. One would like to keep the training place for talents.

Read the full #AMuS Story right here in German auto-motor-und-sport.de/formel-1/alpha…