Red Bull Motorsports
F1
This is how Scuderia AlphaTauri created their 2020 F1 contender
On the day Scuderia AlphaTauri unveiled their latest AT01 car, we caught up with Franz Tost and Jody Egginton to find out how the team's latest offering could be their best yet.
Last week was a hectic one for F1. There were announcements galore, as teams clamoured to unleash the latest cars for 2020, but one team was more frantic than most: Scuderia AlphaTauri. Not only has the team formerly known as Toro Rosso been working on a new car, they've also had to contend with a complete rebrand. The team are confident they're on the right track for success however.
We've been talking to team principal Franz Tost and technical director Jody Egginton to find out what went on behind the scenes with Scuderia AlphaTauri's 2020 F1 car.
While the 2021 season will see massive changes across the sport, including outrageous designs and legislation to give even the smallest teams a better chance of coming out on top, rule changes for 2020 have been kept to a minimum. There’s the mandatory introduction of ‘shark fins’ to engine covers, a reduction of fuel outside the car’s fuel tank from two litres in 2019 to just 250ml and the inclusion of brake ducts as listed parts. Small stuff. So, when it comes to 2020’s cars, think evolution rather than revolution.
Jody Egginton explains: “AT01, our first Scuderia AlphaTauri car, can best be described as a strong evolution of what we put in place for STR14, the 2019 car. That’s because the changes to the technical regulations for 2020 are fairly minimal. So there’s nothing fundamental which has required a massive rethink. The focus has gone on pushing forward all the main priorities in terms of packaging the PU (Power Unit), packaging suspension, the systems and integrating all of that together to take the car to the next level and to give us maximum aero freedom.”
Scuderia AlphaTauri’s attention to detail when it comes to packaging has already been making a difference over the past couple of seasons, with the team getting more and more out of their partnership with Honda.
“When it comes to PU packaging, the key is continuity as this will be our third year together with Honda,” Egginton adds. “The second year already bore more fruit, which was clearly going to happen, after a pretty successful first year together. This third year gives us the opportunity to take that a step further. We have the opportunity, due to our relationship with them, to really maximise the integration of the PU into the chassis package. We are not just given a PU that we have to mount as best as we can. We’re working together with Honda and Red Bull Technology to make sure that everything is as integrated as possible.”
Daniil Kvyat tests the AT01's turning grip
© Samo Vidic/Red Bull Content Pool
We have the opportunity, due to our relationship with Honda, to really maximise the integration of the PU into the chassis package.
That integration results in a number of benefits, not least more freedom when it comes to the actual design and philosophy behind Scuderia AlphaTauri’s AT01.
Egginton explains: “The areas we have really focused on are further integration of PU and other mechanical items into the chassis. The reason behind that is to give the aero guys more freedom to develop, without us having to make costly, in-season, non-performance-enhancing updates. So, the main focus has been on getting everything packaged as tight as it can be. That’s been a big push. We’ve attempted in a couple of ways to make the car a little bit more serviceable but overall, we’ve had to come up with some smart solutions to make the car serviceable, because everything is very tight.”
Previous cars from the team benefitted from running parts from Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, and the same applies to Scuderia AlphaTauri’s AT01.
“We’ve had to adapt the 2019 Red Bull rear end into our chassis package but that’s part of the game each year, whether it’s a new part or something you’re inheriting from another team,” Egginton says. “It’s a small detail but the gearbox actually had to be re-homologated because of changes made on PU packaging, but to all intents and purposes it’s the same. The inboard front suspension and uprights are also from last year’s Red Bull, while the suspension members and associated brackets are Scuderia AlphaTauri designed and manufactured. The hydraulics and other parts related to that also come from Red Bull.”
The new livery for Scuderia AlphaTauri's AT01
© Samo Vidic/Red Bull Content Pool
Changes to the regulations saw brake ducts become listed parts, which also meant Scuderia AlphaTauri had to design and manufacture their own parts for the AT01.
“We will continue to work closely with Red Bull Technology in Milton Keynes who provides us with the complete hydraulic system, front and rear suspension, and the gearbox in 2020,” Tost adds. “This cooperation has been working really well last year as the level of engineering is very high and the parts they provided increased our reliability. Thanks to the synergies programme, our technicians in Faenza and Bicester can focus more on the details of those parts, which really can make the difference and give us more performance.”
Keeping an eye on 2021
2020 will also prove a challenging year for F1 teams, with next season’s revolutionary regulations looming large. Cars for the 2021 season will look very different to today’s machines: there are wholesale changes to bodywork incoming, 18-inch wheels and low-profile tyres that are more comparable – at least in size and looks – with regular road cars, and huge aero changes including simplified front wings and much bigger rear wings to ensure better racing and more overtakes. Aesthetics also play a big part, so expect swooping bodywork and closer racing to be accompanied by more exciting visuals, including proposals for rotating LED panels on wheels.
With that in mind, AlphaTauri will have to think very carefully about how they develop the AT01 throughout the year.
“Twelve months ago, one of the aims we had set ourselves was to maintain our level of competitiveness in the second half of the year,” Egginton explains. “We actually increased our competitiveness in the second half of 2019 and that was down to a combination of aero and PU updates. It was an important step. We proved to ourselves we could improve the car consistently throughout the year. We’ll take the same approach with this car as well. However, this year we also need to have one eye on the 2021 regulations, so it’s unlikely we will develop AT01 in exactly the same way as STR14 but that’s the challenge. The main thing to keep focussed on is aero development. The tyres are a constant, so aero is the battleground for 2020.”
Hopefully the AT01 is as fast as it is good looking
© Samo Vidic/Red Bull Content Pool
“2020 will be a special challenge for all the teams,” Tost adds. “We have to develop two car concepts because of the new regulations for 2021. For smaller teams like ours, in terms of resources and personnel, we will have to face the complex task of finding the right balance between pushing forward on the development of this year’s car – the AT01 – and working on its successor for 2021, a year which heralds a new era for Formula 1 as it will undergo radical changes, not least in terms of the technical regulations that apply to the design of the cars. This does not have to distract us from our big task to look into every detail at every race to avoid mistakes as much as possible and take any opportunity that may arise in such a tight midfield pack.”
Despite the distraction of 2021, the team are quietly confident for the coming season, not least because of their fantastic driver lineup.
“It’s too early to make predictions for the coming season, but in terms of our drivers, we’re in good shape with our most experienced ever line-up across the two cars, in terms of numbers of Grands Prix done," Egginton says. "That’s quite positive, because knowing both guys well means there are fewer variables there. We’ve got pretty much the same engineering team. There’s some small changes but nothing that has not been planned for.”
It’s a sentiment Tost agrees with, with the team principal concluding: “Continuity is important for a team and we benefit from that also on the driver front, with Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat once again in the cockpit. In fact, by the end of last year, Daniil had driven more races for this team than any other driver, and our duo together represents the most experienced one in our team’s history. Both drivers proved to be quick, showed fighting spirit and they are still eager to show to the world what they can do in this sport. So, new name, same team and we can’t wait to see more action this season!”
