La Scuderia AlphaTauri de F1 presented the AT02, its 2021 model that stands out for its completely new matte blue and white color, along with its pilots, the French Pierre Gasly and the Japanese Yuki tsunoda.
The launch took place in the new AlphaTauri showroom in Salzburg, Austria, where in addition the premium fashion brand Red Bull launched its fall / winter 2021 collection.
After a successful first season in AlphaTauri colors, the Italian team is looking to get closer to the lot of top teams in the specialty by putting their faith in the new couple.
Since his debut with the team in 2017, Gasly has achieved two podiums, one of which was on the top step thanks to his first win at Monza in 2020. This allows the Frenchman to be the undisputed leader of the team. Joining the Frenchman will be Tsunoda, 20, the first Japanese driver to compete in F.1 since 2014. His rise comes from a rapid trajectory of just four seasons including the 4 Japanese F2018 title and third place in the tournament in the F.2 tournament in 2020.
“The decision to opt for Pierre and Yuki in 2021 was made because the philosophy of Scuderia AlphaTauri continues to be to give the young talented drivers of the Red Bull Junior program the opportunity to step up to F.1 and educate them; that's why Yuki now has his chance "Said Franz tost, team manager.
“With Pierre on Yuki's side, we have an experienced driver, who can help our Japanese rookie develop faster, but at the same time we can aim for good results. I believe that this duo is the best possible scenario to achieve our objectives "added the team-manager.
“I am ready to take on the role of team leader. Yuki is a very fast driver and will help us move the team forward. We will work together to achieve it "said Gasly, the all-time leading points scorer for the team founded on the Toro Rosso foundation. “I really think last year he was the best on the team in terms of the way it ran, the development, the performance and the way he managed the race weekends. I'm always hungry for more and I'm sure we can achieve great things in 2021 ”added the Gaul.
Tsunoda, who was honored with the award Anthoine Hubert for the best Formula 2 rookie in 2020, he assured: “I have been fortunate to spend time with Scuderia AlphaTauri before the season, so I am already developing strong relationships and learning a lot from them, including from Pierre, who is incredibly talented. My main objective is to learn quickly and achieve results as soon as possible ”.
The AT02, which features power units of Honda, is an evolution of last year's car, although the team concentrated its efforts on the aerodynamic part to try to find improvements and, at the same time, adapt it to the regulatory changes in the area of the floor and the brake lines.
