2023 review: a year of mixed fortunes for AlphaTauri
AlphaTauri faced major difficulties, especially in the first part of the season. With four drivers who were able to drive the Italian car, the team eventually moved up from last place to finish 8th in the standings, just three points behind Williams.
AlphaTauri had a very challenging season overall. For the 2023 season, the Italian team had to deal with the departure of their star driver, Pierre Gasly, and the arrival of a rookie, Nyck de Vries. The Dutchman had a very short stint before being replaced by Daniel Ricciardo. With the return of the Australian driver, AlphaTauri gradually made its way back into the points.
Car performance
The season of AlphaTauri has been very difficult. Franz Tost’s team did not come with a car that had good pace. The comeback has been very complicated, with Yuki Tsunoda having to become the new leader of this team after three seasons. However, both drivers did not have an easy task. The AlphaTauri was sorely lacking top speed and stability in the corners. Coming out of the corners, the car has long felt heavy with sluggish acceleration. The first part of the season was very challenging for both drivers and the team spent a long time at the bottom of the standings.
In the second part of the season, everything happened at the right time. Daniel Ricciardo returned as a full-time Formula 1 driver and AlphaTauri proposed interesting improvements on its cars. Both cars were better optimized than their competitors, allowing the Italian team to climb up the rankings and finish in 8th position in the constructor’s championship. At the United States Grand Prix, Yuki Tsunoda showcased the car’s resurgence, scoring five points in a single race. At the end of the championship, the team finishes with 25 points, just three units behind Williams.
Reliability
Despite the crucial lack of performance, AlphaTauri has not greatly suffered from reliability issues. The drivers have generally finished at the back of the grid due to a lack of competitiveness. Most of the retirements have been caused by off-track excursions or collisions. Nyck de Vries, in particular, has been a frequent victim of these incidents. The AT04 has managed to avoid point losses due to mechanical problems. Optimization has also not caused any disruptions to certain aspects of the car.
Optimizing the strategy
AlphaTauri played their strategic card to the fullest. Off the track, Franz Tost’s team made bold choices. To replace Pierre Gasly, the team gave a chance to Nyck de Vries before stripping him of his position before mid-season. AlphaTauri didn’t hesitate to have Daniel Ricciardo, a reserve driver at Red Bull who had experienced two very difficult seasons at McLaren, take the wheel. When he injured his wrist, the Italian team called in a fourth driver, Liam Lawson, who also did a very good job. The New Zealander managed to score two points in the championship, finishing ahead of Logan Sargeant.
On track, AlphaTauri also played its hand to the fullest. During the United States Grand Prix, the team made the decision to bring Yuki Tsunoda into the pit on the last lap to go for the point for the fastest lap in the race. A strategy that turned out to be successful. A few weeks later, during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, while AlphaTauri hoped to get ahead of Williams, the strategists kept Yuki Tsunoda on track for a long time. In fact, the Japanese driver led the race for a few kilometers. Although AlphaTauri didn’t manage to pass the British team at the end of this Grand Prix, the results were interesting, with an 8th place finish.
Teammate showdown
In total, there were four drivers representing AlphaTauri this season, with two of them being rookies.
Qualifications: Tsunoda 15 – de Vries 2 – Lawson 2 – Ricciardo 3
Courses: Tsunoda 12 – de Vries 3 – Lawson 4 – Ricciardo 3
AlphaTauri had a very eventful season in managing its drivers. While Nyck de Vries is certainly the one who competed the least with Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson and Daniel Ricciardo made a strong impression in just a few races. The New Zealand rookie even scored two points in the drivers’ standings. As for the oldest of these four drivers, he brought valuable points with a very impressive weekend in Mexico.
Yuki Tsunoda has been able to take responsibility and has carried AlphaTauri throughout the season. While he has still made a few mistakes, the Japanese driver has shown significant progress and maturity compared to his first two years.
