Red Bull’s junior team Alpha Tauri has become the latest Formula 1 team to unveil its 2022 car. Like in 2021, the car will have 2020 Italian Grand Prix winner Pierre Gasly and 2020 F2 third-place finisher Yuki Tsunoda at the wheel. Alpha Tauri had a successful 2021 season, with Gasly taking a third place finish at the chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while Tsunoda had a tricky rookie season before taking a fine fourth place at the Abu Dhabi season finale.
Another Definitive 2022 F1 Car
Unlike their sister team, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Alpha Tauri appear to have actually revealed their genuine 2022 Grand Prix car — the RB18 was little more than a slightly updated 2022 F1 show car. The new Alpha Tauri features a revised livery, almost a flip in positions of the white and blue from 2021 with white a lot more evident around the front wing, rear wing and the main bodywork behind and around the driver. Near the back of the car we see the HRC logo, denoting that while the engines are officially from Red Bull Powertrains, they are in effect still a Honda developed power unit.
Further Differences In 2022 Car Design
All the genuine 2022 F1 cars we have seen feature very different designs, and the Alpha Tauri is no exception. The sidepod inlets closely resemble those of the Aston Martin, with the square entry, but there is no split in the sidepod inlets like we see on the Aston Martin. The narrowness of them is obvious as we look down the side of the car, the wrapping of the livery beautifully sculpted around them. Notably, the front wing is quite flat, using a less angular approach for the elements like we saw on the Haas VF22.
Building On A Successful 2021
Alpha Tauri fought hard for fifth place with Alpine in 2021, and had Tsunoda been more consistent, they could have snatched that place away from the French team. But Gasly had an amazing season, taking a podium in Baku along with other highlights such as fourth in Zandvoort and Mexico. With a year under his belt, the team will hope Tsunoda will have found his feet, and they know that Gasly will do everything he can to put the car in as high a finishing position as possible in each race.
Source: Alpha Tauri