AlphaTauri switch to new wind tunnel offers ‘big advantage’
AlphaTauri believes switching to Red Bull’s 60 percent Formula 1 wind tunnel for this year will offer a “big advantage” in designing its 2022 car.
Following the rebranding of Toro Rosso as AlphaTauri, Red Bull has identified the Faenza-based squad as more of a sister team rather than as a B-team as it had been previously.
As part of a growing synergy between the two Red Bull-owned teams, AlphaTauri will no longer use its own wind tunnel from this year, switching to Red Bull’s facility at Bedford to complete all development work on its 2022 car.
This has been afforded by the new handicap system on wind tunnel time introduced to F1 this year, meaning both teams can use the same wind tunnel.
AlphaTauri was previously the last team on the F1 grid operating with a 50 percent model in its wind tunnel, which was based in Bicester.
Team principal Franz Tost was confident the switch would act as a further boost to AlphaTauri’s fortunes moving forward, in tandem with the new cost cap and regulation change for 2022.
“It’s a big advantage to change to the 60 percent wind tunnel, because up to now we’ve always had to work with the 50 percent,” Tost told Motorsport.com.
“The 60 percent is of course more accurate and provides us with hopefully more valid data.
“Then we have the second year of the cost cap, which means the top teams should not be in a position to invest so much more money as we do.
“I am looking forward to this new regulation, the cars of ’22. Where we are then from the performance side, I don’t know yet because there are many, many different parts which have to be brought together in the best possible way.
“I hope that our engineering team will be able to do this, and we will compete successfully in 2022.”
AlphaTauri technical director Jody Egginton said that as confident as the team was in its findings with the 50 percent wind tunnel, the greater accuracy and parity offered by the 60 percent model would remove any lingering doubts.
“Our tunnel is quite good, and we understand it quite well. It’s not something where we can say this has been holding us back,” Egginton told Motorsport.com.
“I wanted to go to 60 percent, and that was the obvious choice, so that’s why we’ve done it really. It is a challenge. I think any wind tunnel move is not without risk.
“But medium-term, it’s the thing to be doing really. We are the only one at 50 percent, and it was a growing question mark in my mind. So given the opportunity to have a 60 percent tunnel, we took it. When you’re the last person, the last of anyone doing something, and everyone has gone another way, you sort of think, ‘there’s something in this!’.
“Our goals are to be more competitive. This removed a question mark, so we’ve done it.
“Time will tell. It’s a case of getting our head around it. We’ve got to get on top of it quickly and understand the wind tunnel.
“The people are critical in this to make sure how to use the wind tunnel and take advantage of what we’ve got.”
Related video
Alpine officially names Brivio as F1 racing director
The uncomfortable dilemma resulting from F1's constant expansion
The remarkable qualities that propelled Kubica’s F1 comeback
It’s easy to look at Robert Kubica’s second Formula 1 career and feel a sense of sadness that he didn’t reach the heights for which he seemed destined. But as Ben Anderson discovered, performance and results are almost meaningless in this context – something more fundamental and incredible happened…
The humbling changes Ricciardo made to deliver the goods for McLaren
From being lapped by his own teammate in Monaco to winning at Monza, it’s been a tumultuous first season at McLaren for Daniel Ricciardo. But, as he tells STUART CODLING, there’s more to the story of his turnaround than having a lovely summer holiday during Formula 1's summer break...
The potential benefits of losing the F1 constructors' title
As the battle continues to rage over the F1 2021 drivers' championship, teams up and down the grid are turning their attentions to the prize money attributed to each position in the constructors' standings. But F1's sliding scale rules governing wind tunnel and CFD use will soften the blow for those who miss out on the top places
The invisible enemy that's made Hamilton's title charge tougher
After winning his past few Formula 1 titles as a canter, Lewis Hamilton currently trails Max Verstappen by eight points heading into the final double-header of 2021. Although Red Bull has been his biggest on-track challenge, Hamilton feels that he has just as much to grapple with away from the circuit
Why F1's inconvenient penalties have to stay
OPINION: Quibbles over the length of time taken by Formula 1's stewards over decisions are entirely valid. But however inconvenient it is, there can be no questioning the importance of having clearly defined rules that everyone understands and can stick to. Recent events have shown that ambiguity could have big consequences
The mistakes Red Bull cannot afford to repeat in F1 2021's title fight climax
OPINION: Red Bull has had Formula 1’s fastest package for most of 2021, but in several of the title run-in events it has wasted the RB16B’s potential. It cannot afford to do so again with Lewis Hamilton motoring back towards Max Verstappen in the drivers’ standings with two rounds remaining
Qatar Grand Prix driver ratings
Qatar was a virtual unknown for most as Formula 1 made its inaugural visit to the Gulf state, and tyre management quickly emerged as an even more critical factor than normal. Perhaps then it should come as no surprise that two of the championship's elder statesmen produced standout drives
How Hamilton dominated in Qatar despite missing a key Mercedes advantage
There was simply no stopping Lewis Hamilton on Formula 1's first visit to Qatar. The Mercedes driver eased to pole position and led every lap to secure an utterly dominant victory - even without a key Mercedes weapon in his arsenal to increase the heat on Red Bull heading into the final two races of the gripping 2021 title race