The AlphaTauri team has taken the covers off of its new F1 car, the AT02. It sticks with the same deep blue and white livery theme as last year, which made the AT01 the prettiest car on the grid in my opinion. This new design features more blue on the top of the car and the wheels are now painted white. It still looks good but not as pretty as the AT01. My first impression of the livery design was that it looked a lot like a Converse shoe. Do you see what I mean?
Livery design aside, the 2021 contender features the same significant design changes as most rivals to comply with the new aero regulations. The AlphaTauri continues to be a Honda-powered team and will be using Red Bull’s Honda-derived power unit afterwards. Last season, it was good enough for Pierre Gasly to take victory at Monza and we could see another AlphaTauri podium result in 2021.
The driver lineup of AlphaTauri sees only one change as the team retains Gasly for a second full season. Daniil Kvyat has been replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, an up and coming driver who is part of both the Red Bull program and the Honda Dream Project. This youngster had already caught the attention of some with impressive drives in the 2020 Formula 2 season which earned him FIA’s 2020 Rookie of the Year award. It’ll be interesting to see if Yuki can trouble Pierre and earn the team consistent points finishes.
Where do you think AlphaTauri will be in the constructor’s standings after the first 5 races? Do you think Yuki Tsunoda could challenge Gasly for a 2022 seat at Red Bull? Share your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to subscribe to the Auto Loons for more F1 updates and news about cool cars.
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