AlphaTauri become fourth team to reveal their new look for the 2023 season, with AT04 featuring red to mark partnership with new sponsor PKR Orlen; F1 rookie Nyck de Vries joins Yuki Tsunoda as the team look to improve on last season’s disappointing ninth-placed finish
Last Updated: 12/02/23 12:56am
AlphaTauri have revealed their new livery for the 2023 Formula 1 season at a glitzy launch in New York City.
Their AT04 car carries a similar look to it’s predecessor, with the main change being the addition of red, most notably on the rear wing, to reflect their partnership with new sponsor PKN Orlen.
Saturday’s livery reveal took place in Manhattan alongside the AlphaTauri Fashion’s launch of their 2023 Autumn/Winter collection, coinciding with New York Fashion Week.
“As we know, Formula 1 has seen a huge increase in popularity due to the likes of Netflix and social media over the last few years,” AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost said.
“So, it’s extremely important that we continue to grow in this market, which is why I’m pleased we were able to launch our 2023 livery here today in New York City to show our appreciation to the US audience.”
Red Bull’s sister team are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 campaign, which saw them finish ninth in the constructors’ championship.
The Italian squad welcome F1 rookie Nyck de Vries for 2023, following the departure of Pierre Gasly to Alpine, while Yuki Tsunoda remains with the team for his third season in the sport.
“I’ve had a lot of fun this week in New York City and it’s also been great to attend the event here today, it’s such a cool backdrop for both the fashion collection and our new 2023 livery,” Tsunoda said.
“The classic Scuderia AlphaTauri colours look great next to the new clothes and I can’t wait to try both out this season!”
De Vries has finally got his shot at F1 after biding his time as a Mercedes reserve driver, and also gave his seal of approval to the team’s new look for 2023.
“I’ve loved attending my first event as a Scuderia AlphaTauri driver, the opportunity to represent the brand at New York Fashion Week has been extremely special for me, and really showed me what the brand is about,” De Vries said.
“The livery looks great, and you can see how the sleek A/W collection has inspired it, so I can’t wait to see it on track.”
AlphaTauri have yet to confirm when the AT04 will make its first appearance on track, with a shakedown expected before pre-season testing begins in Bahrain on February 23.
Pre-season testing is all live on Sky Sports F1 from February 23-25, as is every Formula 1 practice, qualifying and race. The season-opener is the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 5.
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How AlphaTauri plan to improve on disappointing 2022
AlphaTauri suffered a hugely disappointing 2022, scoring just 35 points in the constructors’ championship as they finished last but one, representing a significant drop-off from their sixth-placed finish a season earlier.
The team’s technical director Jody Egginton insists that they have used the learnings of the misfiring AT03 to create a more competitive challenger this time around.
“We learned a lot from the AT03 along the course of its development and much of what we learned has gone forward into the general layout of the AT04 to address some of the weaknesses we identified from last year’s car,” Egginton said.
“In simple terms, we were lacking a little bit of downforce compared to our main competitors and there was an opportunity for mass reduction.”
Meanwhile, team principal Tost is expecting a tighter field in 2023 could benefit AlphaTauri.
AlphaTauri in F1 2023
| Driver | Yuki Tsunoda |
|---|---|
| Driver | Nyck de Vries |
| Team boss | Franz Tost |
| Car name | AT04 |
| Engine | Honda |
| 2022 championship finish | 9th |
| Best championship finish | 6th (2021) |
| Race wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 2 |
“I think that the whole field will be much closer together,” he said. “Of course, the three big teams still have an advantage from their infrastructure, from the personnel side, but I’m quite convinced that in 2023 the cars will be much more evenly matched.
“In addition, while (Max) Verstappen won the championship quite early on in the season last year, I don’t expect that one driver will have such a big advantage this year and win so early. I think it will become a fight that goes on until the end of the season. That’s what the fans, spectators, and we all want to see.”
What’s new on the cars for 2023?
While there is no rules overhaul for next year like there was for 2022, there are subtle changes to the rules and cars that teams can take advantage of.
The most notable is a higher ride height. This is essentially lifting the cars higher off the ground to help reduce the bouncing ‘porpoising’ phenomenon that affected teams – most notably Mercedes – in 2022.
This is done by raising the floor edge and throat, while the diffuser edge has also been stiffened. There is also an additional sensor to effectively monitor porpoising.
F1 2023: When are the new cars being revealed?
While these are mostly for safety reasons and are expected to initially cost teams time due to a stiffer floor, it could also narrow the field with a higher ride height thought to have been key to Red Bull and Ferrari’s 2023 cars.
The other changes to the cars revolve around outlawing designs such as Aston Martin’s rear wing and Mercedes’ front wing from 2023, and more safety additions.
The roll hoops, for example, have been strengthened following Zhou’s dramatic crash at Silverstone last year.