AlphaTauri experienced a rather complicated first part of the season. At the moment the Faenza team occupies the last place of the standings constructors with only 5 points. Nyck De Vries' disappointing debut also complicated everything. The Dutchman, who arrived from Mercedes after a promising debut last year in Monza, with Williams, was sold even before the summer break. In the short time he had available he did not convince the Red Bull top management, who decided to pair Tsunoda with an experienced driver like Daniel Ricciardo. The comparison with the Australian put Yuki under pressure, especially due to the media coverage of this return which also reduced the Japanese's abilities. After Ricciardo, Lawson, who arrived to replace Daniel who underwent wrist surgery, also applied for the seat. Three drivers for two seats and a line up yet to be decided. Will the team have chosen to trust Tsunoda again with a renewal?
Alpha Tauri, Tsunoda and Ricciardo renew
Yuki has been in F1 since 2021 and already in recent seasons his seat has been called into question mainly due to a difficult character to manage. The team has chosen to put him to the test in 2022 with another year of his contract. With the deadline set for 2023 and the presence of a top driver at his side, doubts about Yuki's future have grown. Yuki himself, however, has always said that he still has a lot of room for growth and that he could learn a lot from his differences with Ricciardo.
The relationship between Yuki Tsunoda and AlphaTauri, which will also change soon name, will continue for another season. The team has in fact chosen to reconfirm the Japanese player for another season. He decided to do it on Yuki Tsunoda's home weekend in Japan. On this occasion, AlphaTauri also made Daniel Ricciardo official for another year. We proceed year by year therefore, same formula for both. Lawson has so far contested three important Grands Prix as a super substitute for Ricciardo, where he also scored his first points, in Singapore. But for the official seat he will still have to wait
The news of the renewal was commented with great enthusiasm by Tsunoda:
“I am so happy to announce that I will remain with Scuderia AlphaTauri for the 1 Formula 2024 season. I look forward to continuing to fight and collaborate with the team and Daniel. Obviously I will push as hard as I can for the rest of the season and beyond, to progress as a driver. I am grateful to Red Bull and Honda for continuing to support me and believe in me, and I am very happy and grateful to continue the partnership."
and also from Ricciardo: “I'm excited to ride with Yuki again next year and to continue the journey with Scuderia Alpha Tauri. Considering the progress we have already made and the plans for the future, it is an exciting time for the team. We're building and it's a great feeling. There is a lot of work to do, but we are going in the right direction and there is much to look forward to. Onward to 2024!”
The words of the team
“Next year, the technical regulations will remain substantially unchanged and it was therefore logical to aim for continuity also in our driver training – says Franz Tost, the AlphaTauri team principal who will however be replaced next season by Laurent Mekies. “I am very pleased with the development that Yuki has shown over the last two and a half years with our team and with Daniel's great experience in winning races we will have one of the most competitive driver duos on the grid in 2024. Peter [Bayer, the new CEO of AlphaTauri] and Laurent [Mekies, the incoming Team Principal of AlphaTauri] will have a great duo to start the new season in the right direction. As for Liam, who has impressed everyone in his races so far, he will certainly help the team in his role as third driver in development and I am sure he will have a future in Formula 1 soon."
Source statements: Formula 1
