AlphaTauri made several technical modifications to their car for the Silverstone weekend, submitting a total of eight changes to the FIA. These upgrades included a redesigned floor with a raised edge, a modified diffuser to minimize the disturbance caused by the rear tires’ wake on the airflow, and wider engine cover bodywork. Additionally, they introduced an extra winglet on the rear suspension wishbone and a revised rear and beam wing to enhance straight-line performance by reducing drag.
However, Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese driver for AlphaTauri, expressed his disappointment, stating that the updates did not yield immediate improvements. Despite ranking 16th in FP1 and 18th overall, Tsunoda noted that the team did not observe significant progress resulting from the modifications. When asked about his initial experience with the revised AT04 by F1 Flow.com, Tsunoda stated, “So far, we haven’t seen the results we were hoping for in terms of substantial improvement.” While he acknowledged a few noticeable enhancements from the driver’s perspective, he admitted that the expected advancements in certain areas did not materialize. Tsunoda emphasized the need for a thorough evaluation of the situation, concluding that the outcome thus far was not promising.
Regarding the new tyre construction introduced by Pirelli for the British GP, Tsunoda asserted that the team’s struggles were unrelated to the changed rubber. Disappointed with the early performance of the upgrades, Tsunoda adjusted his goals and aimed for a Q2 finish in qualifying instead of a top 10 placement.
However, Jonathan Eddolls, AlphaTauri’s chief race engineer, offered a different perspective, suggesting that the team’s difficulties during Friday’s sessions were primarily due to suboptimal car setup rather than issues with the new components. Eddolls explained that their analysis indicated the updates were functioning effectively. He further noted that they made additional adjustments to the car in FP2, acknowledging that finding the right balance on the soft tires for short runs was challenging, particularly due to insufficient front-end grip. Eddolls believed that better balance would lead to a significant improvement in lap times and expressed confidence in the team’s ability to achieve that.
In FP2, Nyck de Vries finished 19th but experienced a late puncture on the front-right tire.
Additional articles:
- “What we learned from Friday F1 practice at the British GP”
- “Hamilton: Something ‘wrong’ with Mercedes F1 car at Silverstone”
- “Williams admits British GP practice pace was unexpected”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about AlphaTauri F1 upgrades
What upgrades did AlphaTauri make to their F1 car for the Silverstone weekend?
AlphaTauri submitted eight technical changes to the FIA for the Silverstone weekend, including a reworked floor, a tweaked diffuser, wider engine cover bodywork, an additional winglet on the rear suspension wishbone, and a revised rear and beam wing.
Did the upgrades provide an immediate boost to AlphaTauri’s performance?
According to Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese driver for AlphaTauri, the updates did not provide an immediate boost. While a few improvements were noticeable, the gains in some areas that the team expected did not materialize.
What was the reason behind AlphaTauri’s struggles during Friday’s sessions?
AlphaTauri’s chief race engineer, Jonathan Eddolls, attributed their difficulties during Friday’s sessions to a suboptimal car setup rather than the new components. He mentioned that a lack of front-end grip and front tyre overheating affected the balance and lap times of the car.
Were the struggles related to the new tyre construction introduced by Pirelli?
Yuki Tsunoda stated that the team’s struggles were independent of the changed rubber. He emphasized that the disappointment with the upgrades was not due to the new tyre construction.
What are the revised goals for AlphaTauri in qualifying?
Due to the underwhelming performance of the upgrades, Yuki Tsunoda adjusted his goals and aimed for a Q2 finish in qualifying instead of a top 10 placement.
More about AlphaTauri F1 upgrades
- What we learned from Friday F1 practice at the British GP
- Hamilton: Something “wrong” with Mercedes F1 car at Silverstone
- Williams admits British GP practice pace was unexpected
4 comments
tsunoda thinkin the new stuff aint doin much for alphatauri. he wants to see big improvements but not seein em yet. hope they sort it out n get some speed goin! #alphatauri #needforspeed
aww, tsunoda seems bummed about the upgrades. he thought they would make a big diff but not seein it yet. hope they find the problem and start goin faster! #disappointed #speedneeded
tsunoda sounds reeeaaallyy disappointed with the alphatauri F1 upgrades, saying they aint workin like they should. im just hopin they figure it out cuz i wanna see em do well!! #alphatauri #f1upgrades
wow, tsunoda not happy with the upgds. he wanted more from the car but it didnt deliver. hope they fix it soon and start gettin better results! #disappointed #f1racing