AlphaTauri Pre-Season Testing: What we learnt from Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda’s initial AT03 run in Barcelona
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After finishing in 6th place in the constructors’ championship last year, AlphaTauri is hoping to finally crack into the top-5 for the first time in the team’s existence. Drivers Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda hit the track in Barcelona with the main objective of validating their pre-event simulation work, figuring out their set-up and better understanding the new 18-inch tyres.
When asked about the first pre-season testing, team principal Franz Tost said, “The first test here in Barcelona with the AT03 has been really positive. I think that our engineers have developed a good car, that seems to be both fast and reliable. We have managed to complete many laps with both Yuki and Pierre, and I think that we have a really strong foundation for the year.” The first two days of testing saw AlphaTauri complete 268 laps. They were able to complete another 40 laps on the final day of testing before Gasly crashed into the barriers. This meant that they weren’t able to take part in the crucial wet weather testing that was supposed to take place in the afternoon session.
Pierre Gasly Lap timings and laps completed
When asked how he was feeling about how the car felt, Gasly said, “It was good to understand a bit more about how this car works and so far, it’s been really positive. Straight out of the box, I’ve felt quite confident inside the car, and it has responded the way I wanted. Obviously, there’s still a lot of work to do, but it’s been a pleasing start to the year. “
Gasly only took part in the second day and third of testing. His testing on day 3 came to an end after he crashed into the barriers after locking up his front tyres in turn 5. He completed a total of 187. On the second day of testing, he was able to finish in P2, one place behind the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.
| Day of testing | No. of laps completed | Fastest lap time(mins) | Rank |
| Day 1 | – | – | – |
| Day 2 | 147 | 1:19.918 | P2 |
| Day 3 | 40 | 1:22.469 | P14 |
Yuki Tsunoda Lap timings and laps completed
When asked about the three days of testing, Tsunoda said, “It’s been a good three days of testing here in Barcelona, it’s been really productive, and we’ve learnt a lot about the new car. ” He also said that he had been really excited to get back to driving ever since the last race in Abu Dhabi.“
Tsunoda was only able to drive the AT03 during day 1 of testing. He was scheduled to drive in the afternoon session on the final day of testing. but wasn’t able to drive because Gasly had crashed the car earlier that day, and the team wasn’t able to repair it in time. He completed a total of 121 laps and finished P7 on the first day of testing.
| Day of testing | No. of laps completed | Fastest lap time(mins) | Rank |
| Day 1 | 121 laps | 1:21.638 | P7 |
| Day 2 | – | – | – |
| Day 3 | – | – | – |
Struggles faced by AlphaTauri
AlphaTauri were only able to complete 308 during the entirety of the pre-season testing, which puts them at 6 in terms of total laps completed by a team. They could have completed more laps, but they had to end the testing on day 3 once Gasly crashed into the barriers. And because of the crash, Tsunoda wasn’t able to participate in the wet weather testing, which is crucial in understanding how the new 18-inch wet weather tyres work. The track time that was missed could have helped them better understand the car before going to Bahrain for the next pre-season testing.
Positives for AlphaTauri to take away
Even though they weren’t able to complete as many laps as they wanted, AlphaTauri were one of the better performing midfield teams. They were able to cover a lot of ground on the first and second day of testing, and, according to technical director Jody Egginton, they gathered a massive amount of data, which will aid their learning and development of the AT03 going forward. The car also looks very reliable as there were no issues when it was on track.
Another positive takeaway for the team was how well both of their drivers were performing on the track. Tsunoda got a P7 in the one and only time he got to take the car around the track, and Pierre was able to get P2 on the second day of testing. Hopefully, both drivers will get even more comfortable with the car by the time they are done with the next pre-season testing in Bahrain.
Also Read: “We are still the outsider, not the favourites”- Binotto disappointed even after Ferrari making waves during testing
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Arjun Vikraman
(7 Articles Published)