2022 Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 Team

[ispano6]

I like Yuki, he's nuts, but when was the last time he had a decent race? Made a mess of quali today. The car updates from a few races ago don't seem to have done much to Alpha Tauri's form either

Unfortunately the AT03 is a mess of a car. I've read in some Japanese articles/threads that they need to abandon their front-nose concept. The car doesn't come alive or is hard to get into the right window, and doesn't really bring out the best of Gasly or Tsunoda's strengths. One of Yuki's strengths in F2 was tire management and the AT03 doesn't seem to be able to get the tires to come alive. Car is likely over-weight too. Would be interesting to see if they adopt RedBull's pull-rod front suspension for 2023 and if that helps their overall car philosophy.

[continuum16]

I like Yuki, he's nuts, but when was the last time he had a decent race? Made a mess of quali today. The car updates from a few races ago don't seem to have done much to Alpha Tauri's form either

Unfortunately the AT03 is a mess of a car...

I don't know if I would call it a full-blown mess, but it is certainly the worst car the team has produced in some time. It's just lacking in all areas. I think the AT04 will be a lot closer to the RB18; the team is kind of like Haas in the sense that they seem to take components and/or inspiration from the parent team's previous year. With the first year of new regs, they did not have a "template" to follow so to speak.

Many areas of the RB18 which are radical, are conventional on the AT03. Things like the front suspension, sidepods, floor, etc. Engine/gearbox are the same so that's clearly not the issue. The most unique part of the whole car is probably the weird nose/wing interaction, although I doubt that is a significant performance differentiator (but I would expect a change for 2023).

Maybe they are changing more beneath the skin but the "massive" updates from Imola and France don't seem to be that extreme, nor effective. Look at the evolution of Alpine from the first race to now. Almost everything is different. Even Williams and Alfa Romeo have changed a lot. But the AT is more or less the same in most areas.

[Mogster]

Up to now it is not more but rumor. RedBull did never back Herta before.

The point is simple: Every good catch for F1 could at least get his $hit together in F2 or any other good racing series. Indy is on the level of F2 with other tires. Latifi came with a second place in F2, Stroll with a F3 win...Schumacher with a F2 win.
Last really good catch from Indy, Montoya, came with a championship and a Indy500 win in his pocket into F1. Villeneuve had a Indy World Series and Indy500 win.
So why on earth is a P10 runner in IndyCar expected to be any good in F1?

Herta gave Norris and Ticktum (no slouch either) a good run for their money in British F4. He was 3rd in the Indycar championship in his second year. He has explosive natural pace, it’s clear to see, Norris has confirmed this. Is Herta the finished article, no definitely not.

Andretti’s team performance this year has been average to poor. Their man management of Herta, their young star driver, has left a lot to be desired in my opinion. There are parallels with Charles Leclerc and Ferrari.

Could he make it in F1, I have no idea, but he’d be an interesting inclusion on the grid. If FOM really wants an American driver he is identifiably American to both a US and European audience. The problem for him will be catching up with guys from the European scene who are familiar with how F1 works, guys who know the tracks, guys that have driven Pirelli tyres in FIA F3 and F2. He’d need at least a year, possibly 2, would he get that time? I doubt it.

I totally agree. But I fear another Scott Speed would just spoil it.
The question for me is of there would be a chance for him to drive a weekend in F2.

There’s an interesting podcast over at The-Race with Indy driver JR Hildebrand talking about Indycar drivers and F1. Hildebrand had a test for Force India back in the day, so he’s well placed to talk about this.

I agree Herta would have a mountain to climb, I think a year with plenty of FP1s and testing in older cars would be sensible preparation. The spotlight on him will be massive and it’s easy to crumble under that sort of scrutiny, especially as Marko is hardly known for being sympathetic if his drivers are underperforming.

On the other hand there’s always the chance that Herta could grab the chance and run with it if the car happens to do what he wants from the off. There’s no doubt he has natural raw pace. There are those occasional weekends in Indycar when he’s inexplicably 0.5 sec faster than everyone else in qualifying, leads every race lap in cruise mode, then… crashes…

[organic]

[Zynerji]

This will be awesome if they can get the waiver!

The escalation of tempers between Colton and Yuki will be biblical! 1

[proteus]

This will be awesome if they can get the waiver!

The escalation of tempers between Colton and Yuki will be biblical! 1

Yuki is lucky he has Honda making sure he has the seat. When Honda will leave, we probably wont see Yuki in the starting grid either.

[Mogster]

If I remember correctly Herta and O’Ward had their 2018 Indy Lights points retrospectively removed by the FIA in 2019.

In 2019 the FIA set criteria for the minimum number of participants in series to be awarded SL points, Indy Lights had less than 11 cars in some races so the FIA applied the new criteria to previous years. You could say that applying new criteria retrospectively didn’t allow drivers to make informed career choices, if the FIA are inclined to give Herta a SL then by reinstating the 2018 Indy Lights points would seem to be one way it could be done. The FIA could also give O’Ward a SL, and in doing so diffuse the complaints of favouritism towards Colton… slightly…

[continuum16]

Interesting theory as to why Domenicali is so vehemently opposed to a SL extension (even though Naoki Yamamoto was granted one in 2018 and nobody seemed to care):

The SL points system came in around 2015, after Verstappen came through. The goal was to establish a pre-set "ladder" within the FIA, and was designed by the FIA Single-seater Commission.

Who was the head of this commission at this time? One S. Domenicali. I think maybe its possible Stefano has a little bit of an ego on him; I mean look at things like Imola. Italy has two GPs and he doesn't care but wants to scrap Spa, France, Monaco, etc. If you wonder why this is curious, look up Stefano's hometown haha.

Tin-foil hats aside, I think Herta and Yuki would have very similar performances, which probably would not benefit AT's results in the short-to-medium term. But Gasly is in no man's land in the RB fold, and the juniors they have now are merely adequate. This might change if Lawson were to end up driving this weekend, given Gasly seems ill.

[Mogster]

The purpose of the superlicence system is not to exclude drivers like Herta, it’s to exclude drivers like Roy Nissany and Sean Gelael.

If it’s excluding Herta and O’Ward then something needs to change. The SL rules have been reviewed and changed previously, doesn’t Herta’s case just indicate that something needs to change? I don’t see this as a big deal, give points for wins in Indycar or some such, just make sure that the system still excludes those that should be excluded.

[maxxer]

I dont understand why Tsunoda gets a penalty for everything , while the other drivers dont get them

[ispano6]

I dont understand why Tsunoda gets a penalty for everything , while the other drivers dont get them

Maybe because he's Japanese... There's always been this bias both at a driver and team/manufacturer level. A lot of people would deny it, but I've heard from old Honda people of how they've had to deal with eurocentrism. In any case, Yuki just needs to adjust and wrap his head around the regulations and stick to them such that there's no room for lost in translation.

[organic]

Iirc Yuki didn't do much single seater racing prior to f2? So he potentially is less familiar than most on the grid with common regulation

[Mogster]

Iirc Yuki didn't do much single seater racing prior to f2? So he potentially is less familiar than most on the grid with common regulation

Hardly. 3 years of F4 in Japan, Euro F3, FIA F3, F2.

Tsunoda is 22 now but he still seems very immature. Calum Ilott is a similar age to Yuki but in Indycar he’s been fronting a new single car team. The team is expanding to 2 cars next year and Ilott is already talking not just like a driver but as a team lead.

[Wouter]

Formel 1, Red Bull gibt Herta auf: Alpine-Test abgesagt

Colton Herta wird 2023 nicht für AlphaTauri fahren. Red Bull hat das Ringen um Superlizenz und amerikanisches Supertalent aufgegeben. Was nun?

Der Wechsel von Pierre Gasly zu Alpine ist damit trotzdem noch nicht vom Tisch.

.
Formula 1, Red Bull gives up Herta: Alpine test canceled

Colton Herta will not drive for AlphaTauri in 2023. Red Bull has given up the struggle for super license and American super talent. What now?
The change from Pierre Gasly to Alpine is still not off the table.................

https://www.motorsport-magazin.com/form ... elkenberg/

[organic]

Formel 1, Red Bull gibt Herta auf: Alpine-Test abgesagt

Colton Herta wird 2023 nicht für AlphaTauri fahren. Red Bull hat das Ringen um Superlizenz und amerikanisches Supertalent aufgegeben. Was nun?

Der Wechsel von Pierre Gasly zu Alpine ist damit trotzdem noch nicht vom Tisch.

.
Formula 1, Red Bull gives up Herta: Alpine test canceled

Colton Herta will not drive for AlphaTauri in 2023. Red Bull has given up the struggle for super license and American super talent. What now?
The change from Pierre Gasly to Alpine is still not off the table.................

https://www.motorsport-magazin.com/form ... elkenberg/

I wonder who the potential Gasly replacement is. Mentions they're not from the Red Bull pool. Marko obviously ruled out Mick previously because he was not in the Red Bull Academy; perhaps he's back in play if Alpine want Gasly enough? Doohan/Drugovich?