The Faenza team presented the 2023 single-seater, the AT04 during New York Fashion Week. Same location as Red Bull – mainly influenced by the announcement of the partnership with Ford which will also affect AlphaTauri, but with at least some visible changes. The team from Faenza first published a video to reveal the AT04 and the colors born from the marriage with the new sponsor, Orlen, a few minutes later also spreading the renders that portrayed the 2023 single-seater from every perspective. Physically, the car will be present at Misano on February 14 for the filming day, occasion in which he will complete his first 100km on the track. The AT04 does not speak of a "revolution", but from the first images it is possible to grasp some changes that bring it closer - obviously - to Red Bull and, in part, also to Ferrari.
How does the AT04 change
The first change that catches the eye is the chromatic one that has divided the audience a bit. There are those who have already labeled it the ugliest car of 2023, while those who have appreciated the gamble in color combinations. The AT04, born from the partnership with PKN Orlen, after the break with Alfa Romeo and with the driver who supported, Robert Kubica who however clarified that he will not follow Orlen in the adventure with AlphaTauri, has blue, white and red as its main colors which stands out mainly on the halo and rear wing.
The car was also present at the launch event in New York. A more fashionable event as can also be seen from the "bourgeois" clothing of the two riders, Nyck de vries and Yuki Tsunoda. The duo is one of the newcomers on the grid for the 2023 season. Despite having already raced in Formula 1 at Monza as a replacement for Alexander Albon, Nyck is actually one of the 3 rookies who will make their debut this season.
An evolved version of the AT03
From a technical point of view, the AT04 does not differ much from its older sister, except for the rear - with push rod suspension, a scheme also shared by Red Bull - and some solutions aimed at obtaining more load and less weight. The main objective is to move up after last year's disappointing season. In fact, being the Red Bull satellite team is not always a plus. In particular, considering the challenges and unknowns brought about by the new regulation, AlphaTauri had to act as a guinea pig, but getting up again this year will be imperative. The problems we had last year concern speed on the straight, aerodynamic load and compound management. AlphaTauri started right from here, to develop the 2023 single-seater.
The AT04 remains a car strongly influenced by Red Bull but having to deal with a lower budget and resources, it tried to find some external solutions that could match its own project.
Let's start from the front, the less renovated one. AlphaTauri showed the same push rod front suspension set up as last year, with the steering axle positioned rearward. A configuration that dates back to the RB16, apparently not adopted by the RB18 or RB19 – although of the latter we could see little. The part of the sides, more sloping, instead refers to a Ferrari design for the radiator vents, placed higher up. Red Bull and Ferrari did a bit of schooling last year, and it's normal that we look more at the solutions adopted by the teams that finished first and second.
As far as cooling is concerned, we have a large slotted panel and a cannon outlet. The important thing is that the air from the sidepods, not needed for aerodynamics, is discharged away from the wings or the diffuser. The outbursts aren't particularly highlighted, but considering the renders we expect to see more news in this area. The air-box of the AT04 is more squared, the roll hoop entry thinner and simpler.
The AlphaTauri is looking for answers, for a precise identity that it hopes to have found after several attempts, in the AT04. However, if this path has borne fruit, we will only know in the course of the next few months.
Source: Motorsport.com
