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AlphaTauri had a fantastic 2020 season in Formula 1. They won just the second race in the team's history at Monza. Pierre Gasly's performances were superb as the car complemented his driving style.
Their 2021 challenger has a similar DNA to last season's car. It has good driveability coupled with compliant handling. This year, the team lines up on the grid with young Japanese rookie Yuki Tsunoda accompanying Pierre Gasly.
Team: AlphaTauri
Strengths
AlphaTauri have retained the strengths of their 2020 challenger. The AT01 was a beautiful car that offered smooth handling and decent overall pace. The car produced great results in the hands of Pierre Gasly.
The pre-season test indicated that the 2021 car made a step up in performance while maintaining last year's handling and driveability.
Weaknesses
Yuki Tsunoda could potentially outrace Pierre Gasly. The young Japanese rookie is an extremely aggressive driver. Trevor Carlin, the owner of the F2 team that Tsunoda raced for last year, said the rookie has shades of Max Verstappen in him.
"As long as he’s not overwhelmed by the F1 environment, I see no reason why he shouldn’t be able to do the same as Lando Norris. And maybe he has something of Max Verstappen in him."
This could mean potential trouble for Pierre Gasly. The Frenchman is known to crack under pressure and if Tsunoda can hit the ground running, Gasly could be staring at a downward spiral for the rest of the season.
The situation could create a headache for AlphaTauri as Red Bull insists on picking talents from their young driver program. This has hurt AlphaTauri before, as Red Bull are allowed to switch drivers between the teams whenever they want. If Tsunoda can outperform Gasly this season, AlphaTauri may be resigned to losing the young Japanese rookie.
Gasly was demoted by Red Bull in 2019, after a torrid start to the season for the Frenchman. And even though he put together a stellar 2020 campaign, including a race win, this was not enough for Red Bull; they quickly signed Sergio Perez in the offseason, instead of promoting Pierre Gasly.
The Frenchman thrives on comfort with the team. He doesn't perform to his ability when things are going against him, or if he feels pressure from his teammate. If Tsunoda can consistently beat Gasly, this could prompt bad performances from the Frenchman.
Drivers
Pierre Gasly
After being snubbed by Red Bull, Pierre Gasly showed his true potential in 2020. He put in some stellar drives throughout the season as he combined his startling pace with consistency.
His win at the Italian Grand Prix was the highlight of the season for many reasons. Monza is AlphaTauri's home race, and he won after absorbing tremendous pressure from Carlos Sainz, Jr.
The Frenchman proved his ability in the AlphaTauri last year and another strong year could prompt Red Bull to make a driver lineup change.
Yuki Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda is Formula 1's "pocket dynamite". In his first pre-season test, Tsunoda impressed the paddock with his speed and control.
The rookie had an impressive debut season in Formula 2 last year, which prompted Red Bull to give the young Japanese a chance. Yuki Tsunoda will have a chance to light up the midfield in the AlphaTauri, the same way Max Verstappen did in the past.
Pre-season Test Form Guide
According to Gary Anderson and Karun Chandhok, the AlphaTauri challenger has the potential to be in the top half of the midfield. The team completed its pre-season testing program without a hitch, and looked impressive on all days.
AlphaTauri was also one of the few teams that tried low-fuel runs at Bahrain, and the car looked quick.
2021 Formula 1 season predictions
If the pre-season test is to be taken seriously, then AlphaTauri has a fast car on their hands. The key questions are whether the team can develop the car further in the season and if they have the operational efficiency to compete with other midfield teams.
Most midfield teams looked even on pace at the pre-season test. If this remains the case throughout the season, AlphaTauri's relatively inexperienced driver lineup could be the team's downfall.
